By Tolu Meduna
On 3rd November 2023, during a Strategic Vision Briefing, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), his mission was to ensure the agency stops “winking in the dark,” he shared a number of bold and purposeful ideas amongst them is: “Every airport in Nigeria will one day have NOA value campaign messages playing on their screens.” It was a vision, not just an idea but at the time, it felt ambitious, even audacious.
Fast-forward to 26th July 2025, I stood in the reality of that vision. I was at the airport en route to Lagos. As I waited in the lounge for my boarding call, the announcement finally came: “Flight XXX to Lagos now boarding at Gate 11.” As I stood up, a familiar tune followed over the speakers: “I’m a real Nigerian, accountable Nigerian… I live by the citizens’ code.” Looking up, the screens around the airport were in perfect sync, displaying NOA’s theme song. It wasn’t just audio; it was a full sensory experience. And in that moment, it hit me, not just the tune, but the memory of when this was nothing more than a dream shared in a room.
Looking around, I noticed the same message playing on all the airport screens. The NOA theme song wasn’t just echoing through the speakers; it was commanding the space, proudly announcing a message of identity, values, and responsibility. It wasn’t the first time I had heard the song, but it was the first time I saw it broadcast this powerfully. And in that moment, it felt like time paused.
It became emotional for me—not because the message was new—but because I had witnessed its journey from spoken vision to public reality. I remembered the day it was spoken into the room as an idea. And now, I was living it. I whispered to myself: “Lanre Issa-Onilu dared to dream, and I am standing in the dream fulfilled.” That moment was nothing short of surreal.
What that moment taught me is simple: it is not enough to dream. One must commit to growing the dream, to enduring the process it takes to bring a vision to life. Having a growth mindset is more than motivation, it is discipline. It is choosing long-term impact over quick gratification. Vision without commitment remains a fantasy.
Sadly, today’s generation is increasingly drawn to the “blow” mindset—the idea of instant success without the grind. But as we saw in Onilu’s journey, nothing sustainable happens overnight. His vision took shape over many days and nights of hard work, negotiation, strategy, and sacrifice. That is the hidden part of the story behind those airport messages.
The truth is, growth is painful—but it builds character. Mallam Onilu’s persistence exemplifies the power of steady, intentional leadership. It is the type of thinking that birthed the National Values Charter (NVC), a cornerstone of the National Identity Project, is one such idea. It reflects a reciprocal promise: seven commitments from government to citizens and seven responsibilities, known as the Citizens’ Code expected from the people. It serves as a moral compass for nation-building, rooted in shared identity and collective responsibility.
These principles are more than policy, they are a national compass. They remind us of who we are, what we owe each other, and how to move forward as a people with shared values. If we embrace this identity, we strengthen our national fabric and our collective future. But it all begins with believing in something greater than ourselves, and putting in the work to make it a reality, just as the Director General of the National Orientation Agency has done — revitalizing and repositioning the Agency to its rightful place of relevance.
