We’re raising Nigerian youths as foreigners— NOA boss, Issa-Onilu

The Federal Government has expressed worries over the  raising of  the 72% of the nation’s youthful population as foreigners through the influence of foreign cartoons and movies.

Disclosing this in a chat with the newsmen in Ibadan,  the Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Isa-Onilu, who was on a working visit to Oyo State noted that Nigerian children are being raised as foreigners.

He said this development is adversely affecting the ethics and values of the country’s indigenous culture nationwide.

The Director General stated that “our children have  been eroded with the foreign culture right from their formative years 

“When you look at the  children between the ages  1-12, when they are back at home from school, the major content they consume is  foreign content from cartoons and movies.

“You have a child in your house that you think you are the one exposing him/her to life and managing his/her information and education but you will discover that he knows far much better than you think he knows. Right from your bedroom, he understands America through cartoons. Some of the cartoons today are showing a man and a man conducting a wedding.

“We have been raising foreigners as Nigerians and unfortunately 72% of them  below the age of 35 were raised that way. When you go to social media today, you will see the outcome in their lifestyle. You will be scared of the future of this Country.

“The youth that fall within this category, (1-35) have positive and negative traits but the negative traits are scary.

“They are going to be the most educated because of the tools, technology and the exposure that the technology has brought but unfortunately they lack self esteem and when you are raising 72% of the population that lacks self esteem it becomes a problem.

“The affected age group lack self esteem because they live their lives on the validation of their peers. They cannot stand on what they believe in. If what they believe on could not bring a number of followership, they would abandon it  

“They have created desperation and thereby  taken away self esteem from themselves so that whatever they need to do  to please their peers, they will do it even to the extent of posing nude in order to get validation.

“Where do they get this culture from? It is from the consumption of foreign culture from cartoons and movies. It is quite unfortunate that we have lost our local content to foreign content.

As a way out, the DG disclosed that the Agency would soon launch a Mobile App through which local content would be promoted through indigenous cartoons.

He also added that the Federal government through NOA would launch 37,000 Citizen Brigade in all the primary schools nationwide.

These various policies, according to him, are geared towards changing the narratives and the wrong impression that the outside world is having about the Country.

“We are establishing this 37,000 Citizen Brigade in Primary school. 1,000 in each state including FCT Abuja. This Citizen Brigade are going to be like Boy’s Scout and Girls Guild.”