By Lanre Bucknor
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) is constitutionally mandated to promote national unity, understanding, and development in Nigeria. Specifically, its mandate includes:
Ensuring the public understands government policies and programs, Fostering patriotism and national pride, Promoting national unity and harmony and
Educating and orienting Nigerians on civic responsibilities.
Other core mandates are; Developing positive attitudes and values as well as creating a channel for feedback to the government.
The mission and vision of the agency is also to consistently raise awareness, provide timely and credible feedback; positively change attitudes, values and behaviours; accurately and adequately inform; and sufficiently mobilize citizens to act in ways that promote peace, harmony; and national development.
Part of the main objectives of the agency as provided in Decree 100 of 1993, is to ensure that government programmes and policies are better understood by the general public.
In carrying out these onerous and laudable national tasks, industry watchers and stakeholders are of the belief that the agency must be well equipped with efficient and effective workforce and tools that would drive its policies and programmes to a positive logical conclusion and for the overall benefit of the nation and the citizenry.
It is believed that building workers’ capacities is essential for individual and organisational growth, productivity, and success. Equipping workers with necessary skills and knowledge enables them to perform their tasks more efficiently and effectively.
Well-trained workers can manage their workload better, leading to increased productivity and better outcomes.
Essentially, building workers’ capacities helps them acquire new skills, making them eligible for promotions and career advancement opportunities. Continuous learning and development enable workers to stay up-to-date with industry trends, enhancing their professional growth.
A skilled and knowledgeable workforce gives organisations a competitive edge in the market, while capacitated workers are more likely to generate innovative ideas, driving organizational growth and success.
The Lagos Directorate of the NOA realising the significant of the above scenarios and in building the capacity of its workforce for effective service delivery recently concluded a three-month capacity training programme for members of ‘Class 11’ who were newly employed and posted to the Directorate.
The training was aimed at equipping participants with essential skills and knowledge in report writing to enhance their performance .
In his keynote address at the closing session of the training, the state director of the agency, Dr. Mustafa Tukur reaffirmed the agency’s pivotal role in civic engagement, strategic communication and providing feedback to the government.
He emphasised the relevance of the training as part of capacity building and personal development efforts inspired by the innovative leadership style of the Director General, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu.
Tukur expressed his appreciation to the coordinator of the training programme, Mr Cosmas Oluyemo, deputy director,Planning Research and Strategy (PRS) for his unwavering commitment to sustaining the training programme in the Directorate and mentoring the new staff to be grounded in report writing and other critical functions of the agency.
He urged the trainees not to take the knowledge gained for granted and reminded them of the importance of discipline as a core value in the Agency.
He issued a clear message that indifference to official responsibilities would not be tolerated.
The NOA Lagos director also disclosed that four of the newly employed staff members have been posted to the PRS Department to bolster its capacity.
Earlier, Mr. Oluyemo Olatunde, the training coordinator, had commended the participants for their outstanding commitment throughout the training programme.
Oluyemo noted that the trainees began the programme in March 2025, focusing on report writing. He praised the participants for their dedication and resilience.
He acknowledged the writing capabilities many of them displayed, especially in contributing to collation of both the weekly and bi-monthly reports in PRS.
Oluyemo expressed his gratitude to the state director of NOA for making the platform available and to all deputy directors and heads of departments whose cooperation and support made the training programme a huge success.
Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Mrs. Deborah Shallangwa extended her heartfelt appreciation to the state director and all departmental heads for their commitment to making the training programme impactful and enriching.
Shallangwa thanked the coordinator, Mr Oluyemo for making the training programme seamless, impactful and rewarding.
She described the training as highly valuable, timely and beneficial and laced with the necessary knowledge and information required for optimal performance.
Other management staff at the occasion included Mrs Aderoju Echioda, Deputy Director Account and Finance, Mrs Ngozi Obi, Deputy Director Abuse Rights and Narcotics, Mrs Funmilayo Balogun, Acting Head, HR Department other members of staff.
As the training winded to a close both the trainees and the trainers agreed that the aims and objectives of the management in organising the training was after all achieved and would not only equipped the workers productivity and efficiency, but placed the agency in the right pedestal.
…Bucknor, a public affairs commentator writes from Lagos
