Nigeria President, Bola Tinubu has approved the replacement of foreign cartoons with Nigerian content to promote national values.
The Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Isa Onílú, revealed this in Bauchi during the launch of campaign to promote the National Anthem and the National Value Charter.
Onílú, represented by National Director, PRS (NOA), Nura Yusuf Kobi, expressed concerns about the influence of foreign cultures on Nigerian children, stating that foreign cartoons have led to adoption of “foreign attitudes.”
“We are worried that Nigeria is giving birth to children with foreign behaviours. We have noticed that our kids learn many foreign attitudes through cartoons from other countries. We are going to replace them with local cartoons that will promote our character and culture so that those currently shown on GOtv, StarTimes, and the rest will be substituted,” Onílú said.
He added that Nigeria’s image has been negatively portrayed abroad as a country associated with crime.
He emphasized the need to redefine the nation’s identity, recalling the era of Chief Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa when Nigeria had a clear and positive image.
Onílú also criticized current trend of celebrating basic acts of honesty, such as returning lost items at airports, as if they were extraordinary.
He highlighted that the campaign aims to redefine the nation’s identity, change the narrative, and encourage Nigerians to proudly represent their identity abroad.
Earlier, Bauchi State Coordinator of NOA, Mrs. Theresa Omaga, explained the agency’s plan to extend the campaign to all 20 local government areas in the state, with activities running simultaneously at the state and local levels.
Guardian
Leave a Reply