By Stella Odueme
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has won the Public Information Campaign of the Year Award at the 2026 Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Special Recognition Awards.
The award was presented at the Balmoral Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, in recognition of the agency’s contributions to public enlightenment, civic education, strategic communication and the dissemination of government policies and programmes.
The Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, was represented at the ceremony by the Director of Communication and Media, Bala Musa, who received the award on his behalf.
According to a statement by Musa on Wednesday, the event attracted public and private sector organisations, advertising professionals, corporate executives and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s advertising and marketing communications industry.
Reacting to the recognition, Issa-Onilu described the award as an endorsement of the agency’s efforts to promote innovative public communication, national value reorientation and citizen engagement.
He said effective public information campaigns were essential to promoting national development, strengthening public trust and encouraging responsible citizenship.
The NOA director-general also highlighted the agency’s ongoing efforts to deepen public understanding of government policies, promote the National Values Charter, strengthen national unity and encourage positive behavioural change.
He dedicated the award to the agency’s management and staff nationwide, particularly personnel working at the grassroots, whose contributions continue to support its public enlightenment activities.
Issa-Onilu also commended ARCON for recognising the importance of public sector communication in national development, adding that the award would motivate the agency to adopt more innovative, inclusive and citizen-centred communication strategies.
He reaffirmed NOA’s commitment to using its nationwide operational network, traditional and digital media platforms, and strategic partnerships to promote informed citizenship, national cohesion and sustainable behavioural change.
The agency said the recognition marked another milestone in its efforts to strengthen public orientation as an instrument for national transformation.