Sir: At a time when the country battles public health challenges, rising insecurity, and socio-economic concerns, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Ondo State has steadily emerged as a salient, powerful force for awareness, advocacy, and meaningful change. 

The NOA, Ondo State Directorate, under the leadership of Mr James Adekunle, has recently ramped up efforts across multiple sectors, from health and security to gender equality and national identity.

Health campaigns have dominated the agency’s agenda in the past months. As Ondo prepares for a statewide mass vaccination campaign from May 3rd to 10th, the Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (OSPHCDA), in partnership with NOA, is strategising for massive public enlightenment. 

The aim is to immunise children aged 0–15 months and nine-year-old girls, and NOA’s involvement is central to the campaign’s success.

Earlier in March, NOA marked World Tuberculosis Day with a grassroots outreach at Shasha Market, where Mr Adekunle and his team spoke to market dwellers in native dialects to raise awareness about tuberculosis and Lassa fever.
 
The visit included engagements with community leaders, like the Seriki Shasha and Chief Imam, to amplify the message. Similarly, World Kidney Day saw the agency advising residents on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. 

Adekunle disclosed that dialysis subsidies from the federal government have lowered treatment costs significantly, from N50,000 to N12,000 in selected hospitals—a win for citizens, but he emphasised that prevention remains the best cure.

In a bid to reshape public perception and highlight federal government’s achievements, NOA and Radio Nigeria Positive 102.5FM launched AGENDA, a weekly bilingual radio magazine programme.

AGENDA delves into Federal Government policies and activities, featuring analysts, experts, and NOA officials. The debut episode tackled the significance of the National Anthem, drawing insights from Adekunle.

A wave of deadly tanker explosions nationwide spurred NOA into action. Adekunle has become a familiar voice on the airwaves, spearheading a media blitz across Ondo on the dangers of fuel scooping. From Fresh 102.9FM to OSRC TV, he has called the practice “a ticking time bomb” and urged residents to flee accident scenes instead of harvesting spilled petrol.

“Lives have been lost needlessly,” he said, referencing a tragic incident in Niger State where women and children perished while scooping fuel. NOA has also engaged with the Tanker Drivers Union in Ore, emphasising safe driving and vehicle maintenance.

In response to the continued threat of Lassa Fever, the Ministry of Health and NOA have strengthened their partnership. During a recent advocacy visit, Dr. Orimolade, a state Epidemiologist, emphasised that misinformation and disbelief are worsening the outbreak. NOA pledged to deploy its platforms to educate the public and introduce its newly created Department of Health and Social Cares, to streamline health outreach.

On International Women’s Day, NOA used the opportunity to push for gender equity and women’s empowerment. In a public statement, Adekunle called on all Nigerians to support the creation of environments where women and girls can thrive. 

The agency is also involved in advocacy against gender-based violence in collaboration with Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiatives (Partners West Africa Nigeria).

During an advocacy visit, the organisation outlined plans to tackle gender-based violence in Akure North and Ifedore LGAs, citing alarming prevalence rates. NOA pledged field support, capacity-building efforts, and community mobilisation to complement the organisation’s outreach plans.

In a groundbreaking internal reform, the agency embraced technology with the first-ever Computer-Based Test (CBT) for staff promotions.
NOA Ondo’s director praised the successful transition as a model of federal government innovation, noting that it eliminates logistical stress and enhances transparency.

From health campaigns to peace advocacy, media education, and reform, the Ondo State Directorate of NOA has positioned itself not just as a government mouthpiece but as a genuine advocate for people-centred governance. 

Whether in remote markets or media studios, Adekunle and his team are proving that with the right message and medium, change can happen, one enlightened citizen at a time.

Oladipo Mogaji wrote from Akure.