The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Monday warned that Nigeria’s persistent security, governance, and social challenges stem from a long-standing absence of a shared national identity.
Issa-Onilu made the remarks at the inauguration of a joint committee of the NOA and the National Universities Commission (NUC) aimed at embedding national values into university curricula across the country. He said Nigeria continues to function as a collection of competing ethnic, regional, and religious groups rather than as a unified nation.
“Most Nigerians still operate primarily from regional, ethnic, or religious identities rather than a common national ethos. If deliberate nation-building efforts had begun 20 or 30 years ago, our challenges would not be as severe as they are today,” Issa-Onilu said.
The NOA DG cited recent discussions in the U.S. Congress on Nigeria’s instability as evidence of the consequences of decades of neglect in fostering a collective national identity. He praised the federal government’s efforts through initiatives such as the Nigerian Identity Project and the newly introduced National Values Charter.
The National Values Charter is a social contract designed to promote integrity, unity, discipline, and accountability among citizens. It outlines citizens’ obligations to the nation and the government’s reciprocal commitments. The Charter is built around two pillars — “the Nigerian Promise,” detailing citizens’ expectations from the country, and “the Citizen Codes,” which define expected behaviors.
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Issa-Onilu explained that Heritage and Citizenship Studies have been made compulsory in primary and secondary schools nationwide and will now be extended to universities. The initiative aims to produce graduates who embody Nigerian identity with honour and purpose, rather than merely holding academic certificates.
Mrs Florence Onuoha, Assistant Chief Academic Planning Officer at NUC, said the curriculum will be implemented through the General Studies Unit across universities and urged the NOA to provide capacity-building for lecturers to ensure effective execution.
The launch of this initiative is part of broader efforts to rebuild national trust, reshape public behaviour, and strengthen civic values in Nigeria.