Nigeria’s Information Minister, Lai Mohammed has charged public relations practitioners to utilise lobbying as a tool for disseminating accurate messages that would result into peaceful dialogue among various interest groups.
Lai Mohammed gave the charge while declaring opened, a three day workshop on “Lobbying for Change in Nigeria” organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
The Minister represented by the General Manager of the Nigerian Television Authority, Calabar, Samuel Olalude said that with the advent of technology and use of social media, the way society expresses itself changed.
“Social media has changed the way in which the public channels its demands. In a democracy, the expectation is that the public should channel its demands through elected representatives,” he stated.
According to him, “lobby firms and public relations groups can be useful tools for packaging communications in both directions. Lobbyists often perform advocacy for important social issues and strategise on the path to success in terms of navigating interests and institutions.”
“Public relations experts can play an important role in ensuring that messages are communicated and communicated accurately. You all have an understanding of what messages resonate and how to best pitch them,” he stated.
He acknowledged the successful use of polling and focus groups by the Nigerian Government to understand the public’s perception of its COVID-19 response.
Regulating lobbying
Also, Governor Ben Ayade, who was the guest of honour at the opening ceremony, urged the institute to regulate the practice of lobbying in the country by getting a legislation.
Ayade noted that although lobbying was a tool used in many western countries to actualise significant policies and laws, the institute should clearly distinguish lobbying from corruption in Nigeria.
The governor, “there is a thin line between lobbying and corruption. The use of money to influence a decision is corruption. So, how you deal with a situation where you are advocating – lobbying – without necessarily bringing out the essential elements that brings the poison (corruption) that comes with it is vital.”
“There must be structural and normative framework that will guide the regulation of the practice of lobbying as a profession. Until that dissection is done, you will simply be marketing corruption.”
Lobbyist influence
Professor Emmanuel Dandaura, the Chairman, NIPR Education Advisory Board described lobbyists as people whose business is to influence legislation, regulation or other government decisions, action and policies on behalf of a group or individual who hires them.
Dandaura said that lobbying was integral to modern strategic communication required to drive participatory governance, insisting “therefore, it is largely a public relations function, which should be legally protected.”
The NIPR President and Chairman of Council Mukhtar Sirajo said that the workshop was organised in an effort to streamline the institutionalisation of professional lobbying as a PR function in Nigeria.
He expressed hope that the participants would benefit from the lectures delivered by experts such as Brigadier General Sani Usman, the Consultant Director of Corporate Affairs and Information at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.
Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of award of excellence to the governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade.
Lateefah Ibrahim
