Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director General of the National Orientation Agency, marked Easter with a call for Nigerians to prioritise love, tolerance and unity. In a statement released on Saturday, he framed the season as a time for sacrifice, reconciliation and fresh hope. The message, signed by NOA's Deputy Director of Communications and Media, Paul Odenyi, warned that terrorists seek to exploit divisions during festive periods. Issa-Onilu urged citizens to reject divisive rhetoric and uphold shared values.
The NOA's Easter appeal lands with little force when its own leadership remains silent on the daily drivers of division. Issa-Onilu's call for unity rings hollow while the agency itself offers no tangible plan to counter the narratives fueling distrust. For most Nigerians, another holiday statement changes nothing about the insecurity or economic strain that erodes any sense of shared hope.
