Why combative, reactionary communication has not helped Nigerian government

In this report, Daniel Obi takes a look at the nature of government communication and engagement with the citizenry.

Nigerian government officials have adopted either a combative or reactionary approach to communication with the citizenry over the years.

They have practically failed to own the narratives of their own policies through communication. This results in defensive disposition and hostility when questions are asked about their policies and programmes.

A clear example is the communication team under the Muhammadu Buhari-led government, which only understood confrontation, a combative and belligerent pattern in relating with the people.

“They practically insulted stakeholders in their communication approach instead of engaging with the citizenry,” an expert said.

According to some of the communication experts, either some officials of the government really don’t understand the need to communicate, engage, or carry the citizens along on their programmes or they basically lack knowledge and skills of effective communication.

Oftentimes, what the government officials do is to literally force down policies and programmes through the throats of the citizens without prior notice or explanation. “The removal of the fuel subsidy in May last year was a practical example of many Nigerians not understanding where the policy is leading the people to,” a marketing communication expert said.

It was equally believed that the slow acceptance of the CNG project is due to a lack of engagement with Nigerians prior to the introduction of the project.

The #EndBadGovernance protest was equally marred with a confrontational tone from the government instead of fostering open dialogue, the experts say. They linked the issues and protests Nigeria had experienced to a lack of proper engagement and communication, which often leads to a breakdown of law and order.

“The defensive communication strategy has broader implications for public trust. When the government responses appear antagonistic, citizens may perceive the government as unapproachable and unwilling to listen, which can lead to an erosion of trust. Moreover, a combative communication style can discourage dialogue and suppress constructive criticism, leaving issues unresolved and increasing public frustration”, according to an analyst.

“What I have seen over the years is that the government shies away from educating the people, talking to the people about what they are doing, setting the agenda out there, and explaining the policies,” Victor Afolabi, CEO, GDM Group, a marketing communication outfit, said.

He said that while most times, the intention of the government is sincere and futuristic, the government and its officials have been too lackadaisical in owning the narrative and being ahead of the narrative. “The mechanism of the government still remains slow and bureaucratic.”.

For instance, Afolabi said that the oil subsidy is yet to be understood by the people, and the CNG policy is not well adopted by the people because the people are circumspect of the government’s intentions. This is due to a lack of proper communication.

While acknowledging some improvement in the communication in recent times, Afolabi said that the government has been more reactive to its communication approach. “There are too many reactions to being ahead of the narratives. There has not been a proper curation of an agenda, narrative, and properly be ahead of that agenda and sell it to the people”.

It is believed that whatever level of improvement in communication by the government with the citizens is informed by the restlessness of the people. The government is beginning to understand that they need to improve engagement across Nigerians through the right channels with the right messages. “The people need to be restless and ask more questions to force the government to engage them,” Afolabi said.

Improved decentralisation of media outlets, which “bombard” government from all cylinders, may have assisted in putting pressure on government to begin to rise to the occasion of communicating with the people.

Highlighting the importance of communication and engagement as a panacea to the breakdown of law and order and disharmony, Afolabi said, “If we want to create a conducive environment for a nation to thrive and business to grow, for people to trust the government, have the hope to stay and build Nigeria and not japa, the government must engage, communicate, and sell its intentions and ideas to the electorate. It should not be a four-year game; it is an everyday game. Communication must remain at the central focus of government strategy, Afolabi said.

Lanre Adisa, Group CEO, Noah’s Ark, shared the same sentiment with Afolabi on the need for the government to engage the people and own the narratives in communication instead of being combative or reactionary in its approach.

Adisa recalled how the Buhari/Idiagbon regime of 1983 and Ibrahim Babangida’s government of 1986 engaged with the people on WAI, the economy, and SAP, respectively. He said that communication and engagement become crucial, especially when the government has to take tough decisions. “It is important to elicit the empathy of the people.

“The people should know why they will endure certain things, and they can see the sincerity of purpose on the part of the government; with this, I don’t think people will really worry or complain so much about those policies.

“But when they are not taken into account in terms of where these policies are being formulated and the essence of the policies, it becomes a problem, no matter how good the intention of the government may be,” Adisa said.

On the combative nature of communication, Adisa, who is the president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), said that the government should know when politics stops and governance begins. “You can face your opponents when you are campaigning, but when governance starts, the people should be at the centre.”

He believed that the government needs communication experts for guidance in forming their strategy and how to go forward.

Segun McMedal, another communication strategist, said that the government reacts aggressively because they wonder why the people don’t see what the government is doing. He said that the communication is not enough for the people to see.

More so, certain comments from government officials to the citizens are made with arrogance. This questions their understanding of their responsibility to the citizens and widens the trust gap between the government and the citizens.

Biodun Shobanjo, chairman of Troyka Group, said that unless and until people who understand the importance of marketing communication are in charge, there will be no headway.

“The policies of Tinubu are hurting the people, and it seems it is the right way to go. But they are not telling us anything. They need to inform the people, understand the implications, and know what the government is doing”.

He is worried that there is no central theme in the communication, while warning that the marketing communication responsibility is not jobs for the boys. He cited the US and UK, where communication resides in the office of the presidency, which underscores its importance.

The government officials must understand that they draw their salaries from the people’s sweat. They should make the same people understand what they are doing for greater buy-in.

It is interesting, therefore, to hear that the Tinubu administration recently promised to strengthen communication on the government reforms at the grassroots to enhance more understanding and acceptance.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, who made this known, said they had looked at very critical areas of national development and noted how Nigerians could be informed about the government’s programmes and policies.

“It is our desire to consistently keep Nigerians very well informed on the visions of President Tinubu and to allow Nigerians to know what is happening in government at all times.

“We have deliberated on critical national issues, and we are ‘streamlining our strategy to inform Nigerians more about what we do. Of course, this is not the first time that this is happening,” Idris said.

He added, “You know that we hold periodic ministerial press briefings; that we intend to continue with. We also want to continue with the town hall meetings that we have started”.

An expert summarily said that “For Nigeria to foster a more engaged and cooperative relationship with its citizens, a shift to transparent and empathetic communication would be crucial. This would involve acknowledging public concerns, addressing issues directly, and being open to feedback. By adopting a more collaborative communication style, the government could enhance trust and promote a healthier, more productive relationship with both the media and the populace.”