The Cross River State Government and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have agreed to strengthen collaboration to enhance government information dissemination, public enlightenment, and grassroots mobilisation across the State.
This was the outcome of a courtesy visit by the State Director of NOA, Mr John Asanye, to the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Ene Cobham, at the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC) in Calabar, which currently serves as the Commissioner's temporary office.
Speaking during the visit, Cobham described strategic communication as critical to effective governance. He acknowledged NOA's grassroots structure and expressed the Ministry's willingness to establish a stronger working relationship with the agency.
"The Ministry will make its available infrastructure and resources accessible in supporting NOA's programmes. Collaboration between both institutions will contribute significantly to achieving our mandates," Cobham assured.
The Commissioner also pledged to re-engineer and strengthen the orientation segment of the Ministry, which he said had remained inactive for some time. He called for professionalism, cooperation, and proper documentation in the partnership.
The highlight of the visit was the presentation of the National Values Charter by the NOA State Director to the Commissioner. The presentation underscored both institutions' shared commitment to promoting national values, responsible citizenship, effective public communication, and sustainable development.
For his part, Asanye expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for receiving the delegation, noting that previous attempts to establish a working relationship with the Ministry had not yielded the desired results.
He explained that NOA's mandate covers awareness creation, information dissemination, sensitisation, mobilisation, and behavioural change, aimed at helping citizens understand government policies and programmes while providing feedback from the grassroots. According to him, NOA has a strong grassroots presence and communication structure, positioning the agency to take government information to communities across the State, including hard-to-reach areas.
"As a strategic partner, we are ready to support the State Government in projecting the positive developments and achievements of Cross River State across the state, Nigeria, and beyond," Asanye said.
The NOA Director also identified flooding as a major challenge requiring urgent public sensitisation. He called for a joint campaign to educate Cross Riverians on flood preparedness, safety measures, and appropriate responses, in view of expected heavy rainfall. He added that NOA's strength lies in communicating directly with people at the grassroots, in local languages and culturally appropriate methods, to ensure critical messages are understood and acted upon.
Asanye further described information as a critical component of the State's security architecture, noting that NOA maintains working relationships with security agencies and can assist in disseminating relevant information to communities.
He also raised concerns over the proper use of national symbols, particularly the National Anthem and National Pledge, and called for increased public education on the appropriate protocols.
He reiterated NOA's readiness to work with the Ministry of Information at all times, stressing that both the Federal and State Governments must work together to achieve effective communication and public mobilisation.
The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen public enlightenment, improve grassroots communication, promote positive behavioural change, and enhance citizens' understanding of government policies and programmes across Cross River State.
By: Effiom Solomon & Daniel Nsa
