The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Niger, has solicited the support of Niger House Assembly to effectively deliver its mandate to the people of the state.
Malam Yahaya Gbongbo, the NOA Director in the state, said this when he led members of the agency on a visit to the House Committee on Information and Digital Economy, on Wednesday in Minna.
According to him, the agency which is the government’s mouthpiece has the mandate of communicating government policies, programmes and activities to the populace.
Gbongbo emphasised that many government programmes and interventions remain unknown to the people at the grassroots, creating a gap between the people and the government.
“To bridge this gap, we need the state government support in terms of logistics and funding to mobilise people, particularly at the grassroots level.
“State government complement Federal Government’s efforts to enhance the agency’s effectiveness. By doing so, NOA can better fulfill its objectives,” he said.
Also speaking, Bala Musa, a director in the agency, emphasised that the agency’s role was crucial in communicating government efforts towards addressing the citizens’ needs.
Responding, Jibrin Baba, Chairman of the Committee, pledged support to the agency to enable it to deliver its mandate.
He also expressed resolve to extend the gesture to the Ministries of Information and Digital Economy, to ensure adequate funding, to enable them to carry out their mandate in publiscing government activities.
Baba said government’s neglect of its media houses in favor of private sector outlets led to the proliferation of misinformation, and advocated empowerment of state’s media outfits to restore public confidence in government activities.
“The government must revive and upgrade its media houses to global standards. This will ensure accurate dissemination of information and counter misinformation,” he said. (NAN)
