Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged Commissioners of Information from All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled states to harmonise their communication strategies ahead of the forthcoming elections, to ensure consistency in the presentation of government policies and achievements.
Idris made the call in Abuja, during a meeting with APC Commissioners of Information from across the country.
He noted that the party needed a coordinated messaging system to avoid conflicting statements by government officials and party spokespersons.
The Information Minister, who also serves as Director of Media and Publications of the APC presidential campaign, said “the meeting was convened to align information managers at the federal and state levels and strengthen the party’s communication strategy.”
“It would not be proper for all of us to go into this huge task of an election without coming together to think together, align our messages and address some key areas. The elections are a little over 70 days away. Therefore, it is incumbent on all of us to really think alike. I know it is impossible for people to say the same thing all the time, but once we have our messaging aligned, we can achieve a lot”, he said.
READ ALSO: Information Minister Hails President Tinubu’s Education Reforms
Idris warned that the absence of a central source of information could create confusion and undermine government communication efforts.
Drawing from his over three decades of experience in communication, he stressed the importance of strategic communication, noting that government spokespersons must operate within an agreed framework.
“What I have learned in over three decades of doing this communication job is that if you don’t have one source of message, you can have various streams and contributors, but there must be one major source from which you are drawing information. If you don’t do that, the risk you are going to have is that you are going to have a cacophony of voices, making so much noise and communicating very little,” he said.
The Minister expressed concern over situations where government spokespersons make contradictory statements during media appearances, stressing that communication must reflect the policies and programmes of the government they represent.
“I am an advocate of strategic communication. It is not just enough for you to be on the microphone or on television sets. What is important is what is coming out from you and how aligned that is with the programmes and policies of the government that you are representing,” he said.
He disclosed that the meeting would be sustained through periodic engagements, adding that the APC’s publicity secretaries and other party spokespersons could be included in subsequent meetings to strengthen coordination.
Idris also called for stronger collaboration between federal and state information managers, urging them to share verified information and improve their engagement with traditional and digital media platforms.
Speaking on the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda, the Minister said the government’s policies were aimed at strengthening the economy, expanding opportunities and improving infrastructure.
He described the campaign message as “From Reform to Prosperity”, expressing confidence that the benefits of the reforms would translate into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
“Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Renewed Hope Agenda represents a programme of reforms and national repositioning aimed at strengthening our economy, expanding opportunities, improving infrastructure and building a more prosperous nation,” he said.
The minister, however, identified declining public trust in government officials as a major challenge, urging commissioners to ensure that communication was factual, transparent and responsive to citizens’ concerns.
“We have had situations in this country where the moment some public office holders come on television, even before they begin to deliver whatever they want to say, the public is already negative about them. This tells me that what has led to that is the breakdown of trust that should exist between appointed and elected officials and the people that they serve,” Idris said.
According to the Minister, restoring public confidence was essential to strengthening democratic governance.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that that trust is regained for the benefit of our people, without which the democracy that we practise will definitely be endangered,” he added.
Idris further urged the commissioners to embrace emerging communication technologies, including social media and artificial intelligence, without abandoning traditional media platforms such as radio, television and newspapers.
He also emphasised the need for government officials to listen to citizens rather than merely disseminate information.
“Effective communication is a two-way process. If you are the holder of the microphone and you think that yours is just to dish out information without listening to the other side, then something is amiss. You must pay attention to citizens’ concerns, understand public sentiment and ensure that the feedback we get informs how government engages with the people,” he added.
Also speaking, Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, urged Nigerians to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu another four years to consolidate his economic reforms and translate them into prosperity.
He acknowledged the administration’s progress in stabilising the macro-economy but said the next phase should focus on making the benefits felt at the grassroots.
“Opinion moulders are in agreement that this government has done positive work in building macro-economic stability. The next stage is to deepen the conversation from the macro to the micro level so that people can feel the impact more. We are moving from reforms, which is the primary thing that the President did in the past four years, to prosperity in the next four years,” he said.
Afegbua also noted that increased allocations had enabled the state to meet its obligations, including salaries and overheads.
“We are just saying that Nigerians should please give President Tinubu another four years to consolidate on the reforms he has started so that we can move to prosperity”, he added
The Communicators maintained that stronger collaboration among APC information managers would promote a more coherent and effective communication network across the country.
