By Anne Azuka
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the successful implementation of strategies aimed at fostering national cohesion, unity, and development.
Delta State Director of the Agency, Mrs. Tracy Ikolomi, made this known in Asaba during a media engagement. She emphasized the urgent need for a national strategy to promote unity and ensure sustainable development across the country.
According to her, the NOA has developed a roadmap designed to address the specific challenges faced by various regions and states, with the ultimate goal of building a united and progressive nation.
“There is a need for unity, for cohesion. We must come together as a country and as a people to ensure that our nation does not disintegrate. If we destroy Nigeria, we have no other country. We must not allow the drums of war to echo in our society,” she said.
Mrs. Ikolomi stressed the importance of engaging and empowering young people to become agents of positive change and promoters of national unity.
“We must see Nigeria as a united nation. Division will only weaken us. We need to support one another, promote reconciliation in our communities, and foster peace through healing and rebuilding processes,” she added.
She also called for the promotion of trust between citizens and government institutions to enhance cooperation, inter-community dialogue, and social cohesion—key to reducing tensions and addressing national challenges.
Touching on pressing issues such as insecurity, farmer-herder conflicts, kidnapping, prolonged power outages in the Ndokwa/Ukwuani region of Delta North, and rising substance abuse among youths, Mrs. Ikolomi revealed that the NOA is actively engaging in public sensitization using common ground approaches and other strategic interventions.
As part of efforts to strengthen public engagement, she disclosed that the agency will hold town hall meetings across the state in July to gather input from all segments of society in tackling these challenges.
Mrs. Ikolomi urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by the current state of the nation but to remain hopeful and committed to the success of the President Bola Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We should not allow the negative issues confronting us to overwhelm our society. Every citizen must play their part in ensuring Nigeria’s greatness. We are a resilient people, and we must stop the blame game and believe that things will improve,” she said.