The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, has appointed 94 social media influencers to serve as media aides, aiming to boost public engagement and promote transparency and accountability.
The appointments were announced on Tuesday after the governor appointed 44 social media influencers in September as “special reporters.” With the latest appointment, the governor has 138 special reporters working for him.
The governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, said the appointees will be assigned to cover various government ministries, agencies, and parastatals. He added that the appointments are aimed at providing access to information about the activities of the government and promoting good governance.
“The SSRs and SRs are posted to various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to complement the drive for transparency and accountability through information dissemination on government policies and programmes,” Bature said.
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The appointments of the 138 special reporters were in addition to about 200 people earlier appointed as senior special advisers, senior special assistants, and assistants.
The move by Governor Yusuf has been met with mixed reactions. Some have praised him for using social media to connect with the public and for his commitment to transparency. Others have criticized the appointments, saying they are a waste of public funds and that the governor should focus on more pressing issues.
However, Governor Yusuf is betting on social media to help him achieve his goals. The state has a large and active social media population, and the governor believes that special reporters can play a vital role in communicating with the public and promoting his administration’s agenda.
