, Professor Emmanuel Dandaura has called for a shift){kind=link}
The Vice President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Professor Emmanuel Dandaura has called for a shift in mindset away from performative communication toward genuine, experience-based credibility, warning that communication must not be used as a substitute for performance in governance and public institutions.
He stressed that accountability remains the strongest form of communication.
Dandaura, a Professor of Strategic and Development Communication, disclosed this in a lecture at the
59th inaugural lecture of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, with the title: “When Applause Lies: Communication, Power, and the War Between Reputation and Perception in Nigeria.”
According to him, Nigeria’s communication landscape has evolved into one where visibility is often confused for credibility, and public approval is wrongly equated with trust.
He stressed that institutions must relearn the discipline of listening, noting that communication is incomplete until feedback is received, interpreted, and acted upon.
“This is the uncomfortable truth. Communication has increasingly prioritised perception over performance. While communication has increasingly prioritised perception over performance.
The result is a communicative environment where visibility is often mistaken for credibility, and approval does not necessarily translate into trust”, he stressed.
Describing the situation as “an uncomfortable truth,” Professor Dandaura noted that although there are now countless channels for disseminating information, public belief in those messages continues to weaken.
“We have a lot of access to how to send messages, but there is a contradiction between our message and people believing that message”, he noted.
Drawing from recent data, Professor Dandaura revealed a striking gap between exposure and trust. “While approximately 70 percent of Nigerians are exposed to government communication, only about 30 percent believe it.
“Although Nigeria records an overall trust index of about 65 percent, trust in government remains critically low, fluctuating between 24 and 30 percent. Communication exposure is not equal to public trust,” he emphasised.
He also proposed the APLOS Index, a conceptual tool designed to measure the gap between perceived public approval and actual trust, alongside a set of “laws of reputation and perception” derived from Nigeria’s communication realities.
“Communication now functions as a mechanism for staging legitimacy rather than reflecting legitimacy. Institutions must relearn the discipline of listening. Most institutions do not listen. We assume the people can take anything from us and that is dangerous. If you hold public office, you hold it in trust. Communication should reflect what you have done, not just what you say.”
Professor Dandaura warned about the deceptive nature of public applause, explaining that applause can be manufactured and manipulated, creating an illusion of acceptance.
“Any nation that mistakes applause for belief is standing on a dangerous, unstable ground. Applause is attractive. It is loud. It is visible. But it is not always truthful”, he noted.
Active Engagement
He also challenged communication professionals to reflect on their role in society, calling on academics and professionals to move beyond passive criticism, and actively engage in reforming institutional structures.
“We must stop being roadside critics. If a ship is sinking, those inside must remove the weight to keep it afloat. Do we continue to manufacture applause for power, or do we speak truth to power?” he questioned .
Professor Dandaura, stressed that sustainable credibility can only be built through consistent action.
“Legitimacy does not come from how well a system presents itself, but from how consistently it performs.
“Communication may shape perception, but only experience can sustain trust. Communication should follow performance—not lead it. When truth is allowed to breathe, reputation aligns with reality”, he added.
Also speaking, the President, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, emphasised that public relations practitioners must rise above the temptation of serving as mere image launderers for power, insisting that the true essence of the profession lies in building trust through honesty, accountability, and alignment with reality.
He appreciated the mentors and educators who have shaped generations of scholars.
He commended the leadership of Nasarawa State University for its role in mentoring what he described as the forthcoming “University of Public Relations and Leadership,” a pioneering initiative set to position Nigeria on the global stage.
“I want to appreciate my teachers, because it’s not only Professor Dandaura; we must celebrate those who produced him. Your reward will not be in heaven; it will be here on earth.”
Practical and Timely
For his part, the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, described the lecture as both practical and timely, noting its relevance in an era dominated by what he termed “noise disguised as communication.”
He stressed that reputation is built on consistent actions, integrity, and character, rather than fleeting impressions.
“Today, especially among our youth, we see a lot of noise in the name of communication. Until we differentiate noise from true communication, we are in trouble. Reputation is the judgment we make about people based on consistent actions.
“Perception, on the other hand, is immediate and often misleading”, he stressed.
The Governor also redefined leadership, arguing that true service goes beyond routine governance responsibilities.
He cited infrastructural interventions and market reforms in Nasarawa State as examples of governance that addresses root problems rather than temporary fixes.
“Any governor who says his achievement is paying salaries or building roads does not understand leadership. That is what you were elected to do. Real leadership is about creating impact beyond expectations”, he added.
The lecture ended with a shared message from both speakers: that sustainable governance and institutional credibility depend not on the volume of applause received, but on the consistency of performance and the integrity of communication.