Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria’s National Orientation Agency (NOA) is spearheading a dual-pronged campaign to address pressing social issues, with plans to raise security awareness among millions of citizens and crack down on “unwholesome and extreme graduation practices” in schools.
The agency, a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, announced a massive security sensitization effort targeting at least three million residents in each of Nigeria’s 36 states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This initiative aims to complement the deployment of over 15,000 new security operatives nationwide.
Security Awareness Drive
NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu, speaking in Akure, Ondo State, outlined the campaign’s strategy, which includes:
- Media engagement
- Market and motor park rallies
- Town hall meetings
- Advocacy visits to traditional and religious leaders
- Road shows and community engagements
He noted that the initiative is part of a broader security architecture directed by the Chief of Defence Staff, which utilizes specialized military units, drones, armored vehicles, and surveillance technologies to combat diverse security challenges.
Curbing Indecent Graduation Practices
In a separate but parallel effort, the NOA is taking a firm stance against what it describes as a rising trend of “indecent and harmful” graduation ceremonies among Nigerian students. The campaign, which will form part of a nationwide values reorientation program, aims to reverse what the agency calls “dangerous cultural imports.”
Issa-Onilu condemned the growing culture of elaborate and often lewd celebrations, including:
- Students stripping off shirts in public.
- Peers scribbling offensive messages on sensitive body parts.
- Instances of public nudity.
“What should be a modest celebration of academic success has been corrupted,” he said, vowing to address a trend he deems “morally corrosive” and a threat to a generation’s values.
