Why Nigerians should behopeful, by NOA DG

National Orientation Agency (NOA) Director General Lanre Issa-Onilu has said there are reasons for Nigerians to remain hopeful about the country’s future.
Issa-Onilu said there has been a shift from despair to measurable progress under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The NOA director general explained that the Federal Government’s policies are meant to lay a solid foundation for a new and more prosperous national reality.
“We’ve passed the stage of motivating our personnel. They are already believers in the mission.
“Now, the focus is on transferring that belief to Nigerians – to help them believe in Nigeria again,” Issa-Onilu said.
The NOA director general stressed that the renewed belief is not driven by rhetoric but by the facts on the ground.
According to him, from reforms in the forex market to visible infrastructure projects across the country, there has been what he called “tangible signs of progress” that justify optimism.
Issa-Onilu alluded to President Tinubu’s 2023 campaign mantra of Renewed Hope, saying it has evolved into Hope Renewed.
The NOA boss said this was a reflection of real developments that prove Nigeria is no longer in “a make-believe economy”.
He added: “Today, the naira trades at its true market value. The economy is no longer padded. The oil and gas sector has become transparent. When the government announces a road project, you can visit the site in a month and see construction underway.”
Issa-Onilu acknowledged that national morale had been battered by years of unmet expectations, stressing that the NOA had to embark on a “social scientific” approach to establish why Nigerians felt disconnected from their country.
He said his agency took deliberate efforts to change the narrative.
According to him, three fundamental human needs must be met for citizens to feel bonded to their nation: moral, material, and psychological.
“If a country fails to provide justice, fairness, or basic services, people withdraw their loyalty,” he said. “But once people see fairness, visible improvements, and feel emotionally connected to the nation, patriotism follows naturally. Hope grows.”