In what appears to be Nigeria’s most dramatic “return on investment” complaint yet, a man on Thursday stormed the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja with a message as blunt as it was unsettling: reward me or kill me. The protest, captured in a now-viral video, shows the visibly distressed man holding a placard and demanding recognition for what he described as his personal sacrifices during the party’s 2023 campaign. According to him, loyalty was not just emotional, it was financial, physical, and, ultimately, total. In a country where political support often comes with expectations, some spoken, many implied the man’s outcry reads like a tragic audit of misplaced trust. His claim that he sold his house to fund campaign efforts has not been independently verified, but the symbolism is hard to ignore: a citizen liquidating stability in exchange for promised political dividends. Observers at the scene watched as the protester oscillated between anger and ...
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) was created to shape values, foster patriotism, and safeguard the image of Nigeria. But over time, it has been reduced to routine sensitization drives, workshops, and jingles that barely scratch the surface of the deeper problems corroding our national fabric. The real challenges go beyond roadside campaigns, they strike at the very heart of how Nigeria is perceived both within and outside our borders.
Many Nigerians do not realize that in every ember of discord, in every careless word of self-hatred, and in every act of disregard for our country, we weaken the respect we command abroad. Friends and compatriots have given painful accounts of how they are treated with little or no value outside Nigeria. Sadly, this is not always the fault of foreign nations, it is often the reflection of how we ourselves present our country to the world.
When citizens mock their homeland in public spaces, when politicians weaponize Nigeria’s weaknesses for selfish gain, when corruption becomes a badge of survival, and when leadership fails to defend the dignity of the nation, the damage spreads far beyond the headlines. The image of Nigeria is tarnished not only by bad governance, but by the voices of her own children.
Political actors, especially, must understand that the country is never a pawn in their chessboard of ambition. Disrespecting Nigeria to score points or to secure personal advancement is an act of betrayal. Nigeria is greater than Mr. President, and certainly greater than any individual citizen. Our duty, both as leaders and as followers, is to defend the collective identity of this nation and ensure that future generations inherit a name that carries honor, not disdain.
This is where the NOA must wake up to its true calling. The agency must go beyond sensitization to confront issues of patriotism, national rebranding, and the deliberate cultivation of civic pride. It must design campaigns that challenge corruption, tribal hatred, electoral violence, and the culture of impunity. It must build platforms where citizens rediscover their shared responsibility in protecting Nigeria’s name.
If the NOA fails to take on this bigger task, then it risks becoming irrelevant in a time when Nigeria desperately needs a moral compass. The nation is crying for orientation that is deeper than slogans, one that instills integrity, patriotism, and pride in every citizen.
Nigeria’s image is not government-owned alone; it is our collective inheritance. And the National Orientation Agency must lead the way in reminding us of this truth.
Signed: Abioye Tosin Lawrence, Publisher, Oriontimes Online Newspaper & Frontier, HATE-AGAINST-NIGERIA Campaign
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