By Funmi Coker

Under its broadened civic engagement mandate, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) is implementing community-based economic initiatives to enhance livelihoods, build financial literacy and promoting entrepreneurship in underserved communities, writes…

In a quiet courtyard in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, a group of women gather every Thursday morning, not just to trade goods, but ideas, strategies, and newly acquired business skills. They are there at the instance of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), whose local directorate has, since late 2023 been redefining its civic mandate to include community-centered economic empowerment.

Across the South-West and South-South regions, the NOA is turning its civic education infrastructure into engines of economic literacy and opportunity. Leveraging its grassroots network, the agency has rolled out a broad range of economy-focused programmes to tackle poverty, boost entrepreneurship, and foster self-reliance—particularly among women, youth, and informal traders.

The Delta State Directorate of NOA has launched a deliberate campaign to transition informal traders and artisans into the formal economy. Since late 2023, over 4,000 traders in Warri, Ughelli, and Asaba have been engaged through town hall meetings and mobile sensitization caravans. The themes have been business registration, cooperative development, microcredit access, and digital literacy.

The “From Market to Enterprise” campaign, executed in partnership with local trade unions and the Bank of Industry, has equipped women-led businesses with bookkeeping knowledge, pricing strategies, and bulk-purchasing cooperatives.

“I used to sell tomatoes with no plan,” said a market woman who identified herself as simply Ijeoma in Ughelli. “Now, I save weekly and belong to a group that helps us buy from suppliers directly.”

In Lagos, where the economy is thrives on speed and tech, NOA’s approach has centered on digital skill acquisition and urban entrepreneurship. Through partnerships with tech hubs and private sector players, NOA has organized bootcamps on freelancing, content creation, social media marketing, and online sales.

The “Click2Earn Lagos” programme, launched in December 2023, has trained over 1,200 young people in Agege, Ikorodu, and Surulere, linking them with job platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, and helping them open digital wallets.

The Lagos directorate has also conducted financial literacy clinics in major markets, helping traders understand mobile banking, QR payments, and informal savings groups that now use USSD codes and fintech tools.

In Oyo, the “Start Where You Are” initiative was rolled out to train artisans, food vendors, and tailors in Ibadan and Ogbomoso on business expansion strategies, while linking them with government SME grants and NAFDAC certification support for food handlers.  In Osun State, the NOA revived the traditional apprenticeship culture through a mentorship scheme for young people in local trades such as carpentry, fashion, and aluminum work, especially in areas like Ilesha and Iwo.

The programme is tied to a civic reorientation curriculum titled “Skills and Citizenship,” which highlights dignity of labor and the civic duty of economic self-sufficiency.

In Bayelsa and riverine parts of Rivers State, NOA’s economic interventions have been uniquely tailored to local contexts. In October 2023, the agency launched the “My River, My Livelihood” initiative, empowering women in fishing communities through improved fish processing techniques, packaging, and branding. Through hands-on workshops in Yenagoa, Brass, and Bonny, participants received training in fish smoking, palm oil processing, and how to sell to mainland markets using transport cooperatives supported by the local government. Micro-loan access and cooperative savings schemes have also been introduced, with NOA facilitating partnerships with microfinance banks and women’s associations.

In Edo State, the agency has zeroed in on youth economic migration. The “Stay and Build” campaign, launched in Benin and Ekpoma, targets potential emigrants with entrepreneurship training, startup funding information, and career development workshops.

In tandem, the NOA runs community radio programmes educating listeners on how to build businesses legally, register cooperatives, and engage with government microenterprise schemes.

In Cross River, NOA has linked economic empowerment with conflict prevention, especially in communities recovering from communal clashes. Through the establishment of “Peace and Productivity Circles,” local women and displaced youth have been trained in agribusiness and value chain enterprises like garri processing and shea butter production.

The Cross River Directorate has also helped revive cultural crafts and tourism-linked trade by supporting artisans with branding and sales strategy support ahead of the annual Calabar Carnival.

The impact of the initiatives has not been shabby with over 12,000 individuals trained in economic or financial literacy and over 80 cooperative societies formed or restructured with NOA facilitation. Also, six tech and digital hubs have been partnered with in Lagos and Delta for youth upskilling, while over ?30 million was accessed in in micro-loans through NOA-led partnerships. Across the two zones, youth unemployment engagement programmes have been launched in about 20 local government areas.

While there has been undeniable progress, real and enduring success will come when the funding constraints faced by state directorates are taken care of. The funding constraints lead to inconsistent participation in programmes. There are also digital access gaps in rural areas. However, the agency’s reputation for neutrality, cultural sensitivity, and grassroots access continues to give it an edge in building trust and participation.