Minister scores Nigerians’ patriotism low

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has lamented the gradual erosion of values among citizens, describing it as worrisome and harping on the need for value reorientation. 

He was speaking during a courtesy visit by members of the Sardauna Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation at his office in Abuja on Wednesday.

The minister observed that “our sense of patriotism as a nation requires improvement as it is necessary for national growth and development.”

He commended the foresight of the governors of the northern states for establishing the Foundation to immortalize the name and good qualities of the former Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello.

He urged the Foundation to recreate the values for which the Sardauna was recognized, and “To join the effort to take Nigerians through a process of rediscovery and to retrace our steps toward the vision of our forefathers.”

The minister said leaders needed to restore the confidence of the people in governance, adding that this was the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He congratulated them on the contributions they have made in the area of scholarships, health outreaches, and educational development.

Earlier, the leader of the team and former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau said the Foundation sees the Ministry of Information and National Orientation as an important platform through which to deliver it contributions to the nation.

He said the Foundation takes education seriously and sees it as a great vehicle of change, revealing this as the reason for their interest in the sector.

“We commissioned a study on the status of education in the northern states and now that the report is ready, we wish to share its findings at a National Conference on Education billed for 10th October 2023, where all agencies and stakeholders in education will attend,” he said.

Copies of the report of the study were presented to the Minister.