NOA Advocates Ethics-Driven Governance to Rebuild Public Trust

NOA Advocates Ethics-Driven Governance to Rebuild Public Trust

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, has called for a renewed commitment to ethics and accountability in governance, saying it is key to restoring public confidence and driving national development.

Issa-Onilu made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a seminar held as part of the third edition of the Abuja Accounting Week organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Abuja and District Society.

The NOA boss, who was represented at the event by the agency’s Director of Communication and Media, Bala Musa, said Nigeria’s challenges go beyond policy and resources, noting that the real issue lies in the values that guide both leadership and citizens.

According to him, sustainable development can only be achieved when governance is anchored on integrity, discipline and accountability.

“No nation can rise above the quality of its values, and no system can be stronger than the integrity of the people who sustain it,” he said.

He pointed out that declining public trust in institutions is largely a result of weak ethical standards and a gap between what is expected and what is practised in both public and private sectors.

Issa-Onilu said ethics-driven governance requires leaders to uphold fairness, transparency and justice, while citizens must also demonstrate responsibility in their daily conduct.

He explained that the agency’s Nigerian Identity Project and the National Values Charter were designed to rebuild trust by promoting shared responsibility between government and the people.

“The Charter represents a renewed social contract, where citizens are expected to act with integrity and discipline, while government must uphold accountability and fairness,” he said.

He added that a system where merit takes precedence over connections and where transparency guides decisions would not only attract investment but also strengthen confidence in the nation’s institutions.

The NOA chief also challenged professionals, particularly accountants, to play a leading role in promoting ethical conduct, describing them as key actors in safeguarding credibility within the system.

“Every financial report prepared with honesty and every audit conducted with objectivity contributes to strengthening the economy. In that sense, professionalism is an act of patriotism,” he said.

Issa-Onilu urged ICAN to integrate the principles of the National Values Charter into its training and professional standards, noting that such a step would help raise a generation of professionals committed to national interest.

Also speaking, a member of ICAN Governing Council, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Idris Adamu (retd.), said the seminar was aimed at reawakening ethical consciousness among professionals and the wider public.

He noted that without discipline and professionalism, the implementation of government policies, including tax reforms, would remain difficult.

“There should be visible utilisation of taxes by government, while citizens must also fulfil their obligation by paying taxes and filing returns appropriately. It is a symbiotic relationship,” he said.

Adamu added that ICAN has continued to support government policies through advisory roles and participation in legislative processes, particularly on tax reforms.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the organising committee, AbdulRazak Aliyu, said the theme of the seminar was timely given what he described as a steady erosion of values in society.

He stressed the need for deliberate efforts to rebuild ethical standards across all sectors, from families and schools to public institutions.

“We have experienced a serious drop in moral values. To make progress as a nation, value re-orientation must start from every level of society,” he said.

Aliyu urged professionals to uphold integrity, objectivity and accountability, and to place public interest above personal gain.

The seminar attracted participants from the public and private sectors, including policymakers, professionals and students, with discussions centred on restoring trust, strengthening institutions and aligning governance with ethical standards.