The National Orientation Agency (NOA) will continue to support and partner with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to promote the image of Nigeria and bring pride to the country through football and other sports.
The Director-General of the NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, gave this assurance when a delegation led by the President of the NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, visited the NOA headquarters in Abuja on a thank you visit.
The NOA and NFF undertook a partnership to promote the national identity project through Nigeria’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations AFCON) tournament. The Agency distributed thousands of hand held flags, t-shirt, muffler and outdoor flags to fans of the Nigerian team at various cities where they played.
Issa-Onilu described sports as a powerful tool for promoting national unity and integration, and fostering global rebranding. He said sports, especially football, provides a unique avenue for Nigerians to connect and bury their differences, promoting national unity and integration. He noted that the more the country’s successes in football and other sports, the more Nigerian citizens are brought together under a shared national spirit.
The NOA Director General disclosed that officers from the Agency attended the last African Cup of Nations football competition in Morocco with 5,000 outdoor flags and banners to ensure that Nigerian pride was in full display in every stadium where the matches were played. He said it was the NOA’s way of bolstering Nigeria’s global image and bringing pride to Nigerians in Morocco and those watching from everywhere around the world, noting that the strategy worked because many Nigerians at the different stadiums and some foreign nationals, including Moroccans, were seen waving Nigerian flags and banners at different times during the competition.
The Director General added that the NOA had also planned to distribute 5,000 flags to viewing centres in every state in Nigeria if the Super Eagles reached the final of the tournament, although that was not to be.
Speaking earlier, the President of the NFF Gusau, commended the NOA for boosting the image of Nigeria in Morocco with its activities at the AFCON. He described the support of the NOA to the Super Eagles as “invaluable,” noting that the flags, banners and other fan symbols distributed by the Agency at the AFCON raised the morale of the players and officials and made them feel like they were at home.
He said the NFF was looking forward to receiving similar support from the NOA for the Super Falcons at the upcoming Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) competition which will also take place in Morocco in March, this year.
Responding, NOA Director General said that the Agency is as committed to female football as it is to male football, assuring the NFF president that NOA will extend its full support to the Super Falcons at the upcoming WAFCON.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the DG of NOA presented a plaque of the National Values Charter to the NFF president, and in return, the NFF president gifted jerseys of the national teams to the DG.
Other members of the delegation from the NFF include: Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and Chairman of the Nigeria Nationwide League (NLO), Mr. Silas Ali Agara; General Secretary of the NFF, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi; Vice President of the NFF, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu; FIFA Consultant, Mr. Kadiri E. C.; Chief Legal Officer, Queen Wutdeama Otarakpo; and Head of Store, Tajudeen Tiamiyu.
Packaged by Alice Egbedele
