The United Nations, in partnership with Nigeria, has established a communication strategy aimed at enhancing inclusion, promoting transparency, and fostering public trust.
Speaking at the workshop on the review of Social Protection Communication and Advocacy Strategy, Nigerian Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said that refining Nigeria’s Social Protection Communication and Advocacy Strategy will promote the acceptability of government programmes and policies.
”Social protection is more than just a set of policies; it is a lifeline for millions of Nigerians. It represents our commitment to reducing poverty, enhancing resilience, and empowering individuals to contribute meaningfully to the nation. Yet, the success of these initiatives rests not only on the policies themselves but also on how effectively we communicate them.
“In this era of rapid information exchange, effective communication must do more than inform. It must inspire confidence, engage communities, and drive behavioural change. We need a strategy that conveys the purpose, benefits, and accessibility of our social protection programmes to ensure that no one is left behind or left in the dark,” he said.
The Information Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Comfort Ajiboye explained that the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prioritizes social protection through programmes and other National Social Safety-Nets.
” We recognize that a nation is only as strong as its most vulnerable citizens, and we must create systems that support their well-being and improve their lives. From financial interventions to educational assistance and economic empowerment, social protection is woven into the fabric of this administration’s reform agenda.
“However, these efforts can only reach their full potential if we successfully connect with the communities that stand to benefit. This is where communication becomes indispensable.
“By crafting messages that are clear, relatable, and culturally relevant, we can foster a more inclusive and supportive environment where all Nigerians feel the benefits of government support programmes,” he stated.
Speaking on the objectives and expected outcome of the workshop the Director UN Information Center, Ronald Kayanja, stated that one of the most important elements of governance is trust, which Is a social contract between the leaders and the people, and for people to trust the leaders, they need to get information, they need to be informed of what is going on.
“At the meeting where the UN is represented by the relevant coordinator, it was agreed that the UN should work with all the stakeholders, led by the Minister of Information, to work on a communication strategy or approach that will enable Nigerians to understand the commitments of government, what they are benefiting, and how the government is trying to solve their problems.
“The communication strategy will pursue the overall goal to build public trust, generate buy-in and momentum among key stakeholders towards the conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), Creating awareness of the revamped CCT as a key intervention to provide financial support to targeted poor and vulnerable Nigerian households to address key social concerns in the country, Enhancing understanding of the process of accessing the CCT, Winning back lost public confidence/ building back public trust and engender stakeholders buy-in and Countering mis_disinformation about CCT programme,” Kayanja said.
The Deputy Director of Press at the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Paul Odenyi stated that 75% of Nigeria’s population comprises young individuals who are largely disengaged from traditional media such as television and music. Therefore, it is imperative to employ alternative communication channels that resonate with this demographic.
“And that is why a strategy workshop is important so that we identify some of those channels where there are people and we can use them. That’s why even in NOA, we’ve developed several platforms to reach young people. One of which is our app. This workshop wouldn’t have come at a better time than now because coming from the field, for the past month the NOA, has been trying to sensitize Nigerians on small government programs. The truth of the matter is there’s a gap. And so a conference like this workshop is important, especially for the social safety programs of the government,” he said.
The workshop was organised by the United Nations, the Nigerian Ministry of Information and National Orientation and Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance.
Comments are closed.