Govt agencies must build trust beyond announcements

ONE of the most recurring problems confronting Nigeria since independence is not simply the failure of government policies, but the growing distance between government and the people it governs. Over the decades, Nigerians have witnessed military coups, prolonged military rule, democratic transitions, policy reversals, economic hardship, corruption scandals and governance failures. Each has chipped away public confidence until today, the trust deficit now runs so deep that even well-intentioned policies are received with suspicion. This is why strategic communication must become a central component of governance in Nigeria, not an afterthought activated only when a policy is announced, a controversy erupts, or government needs to respond to criticism. Public communication must be deliberate, continuous, and built into the policy process from the beginning. The recent controversy surrounding Nigeria’s tax reform is a useful example. Before the situation eventually calmed, the debate generated considerable anxiety, particularly in Northern Nigeria. Prominent northern figures and political juggernaut, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, raised concerns about the potential consequences of the reform for a region already battling poverty, insecurity and economic disadvantage.

The concerns grew intense enough to trigger opposition from 19 northern governors and 73 northern lawmakers, and at one point the House of Representatives suspended debate on the Tax Reform Bills after their initial scheduling for consideration. Beyond the political disagreement, however, another problem emerged: a communication vacuum. As the debate continued, rumours and misconceptions spread rapidly, especially on the new media. Claims that the reforms would impose unbearable tax burdens circulated widely, alongside fears that government would acquire powers to debit citizens’ bank accounts at will. Several of these claims were later debunked, but the most important lesson from the episode is this: misinformation thrives where credible information is absent, insufficient, or arrives too late. In my experience managing public perception for government, politicians and public institutions, one recurring weakness stands out. Many government agencies still approach communication as publicity, rather than as an integral part of governance. The emphasis falls on issuing statements, announcing programmes, distributing press releases and organising occasional briefings. These things are necessary, but they are not the same as strategic communication. A press release tells people what government has done. Strategic communication explains why it was done, how it affects them, what they should expect, and where they can seek clarification. That distinction is critical.

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Government agencies must also accept that citizens no longer depend on traditional media alone. A government announcement now competes with WhatsApp messages, Facebook posts, X conversations, TikTok videos, blogs, influencer skits, conjectures through anonymous account and countless uninformed online comments. Information travels faster than official responses. An agency that waits until a controversy becomes a crisis before explaining its policy has already surrendered valuable ground to rumour. The tax reform experience demonstrated this clearly. The eventual intervention and clarification from those responsible helped correct several misconceptions, and opening the conversation to the media and influencers took the explanation beyond the standard press release. But that approach should not have become necessary only after the controversy had escalated. The questions and concerns should have been anticipated before the reforms were unveiled. That is what strategic communication demands. Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, Nigeria has created numerous ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals across all tiers of government. Yet comparatively little attention has been paid to developing long-term communication strategies capable of rebuilding trust. Too often, communication units are treated as administrative departments rather than strategic components of governance. The consequence is predictable: an agency announces a policy, citizens ask questions, social media fills the gap, rumours spread, critics seize the narrative, and the agency eventually organises a press conference to explain itself.

By then, public perception has often already hardened. Government must move from this reactive model to a proactive one. Communication should begin before a policy is announced. Citizens should be told what problem government is trying to solve, why a particular approach was chosen, what the policy will cost, who will benefit, what the possible disadvantages are, and what safeguards are in place. People may still disagree after a proper explanation, but disagreement based on accurate information is fundamentally different from opposition driven by misinformation. Officials in government circles are quick to blame social media for misinformation, but misinformation has no life of its own. It thrives where there is a communication gap. Where citizens cannot obtain clear and timely information from an official source, they will naturally turn elsewhere. Agencies must therefore recognise that communication is not merely about defending government; it is about giving citizens enough reliable information to understand government.

A press release alone cannot explain a complex policy to millions of Nigerians. Agencies should be producing explanatory videos, frequently asked questions, infographics, town-hall conversations, radio programmes, television discussions, social media content and direct engagement with affected communities and social strata, as the case may be. The Federal Government and other tiers should go further and develop a deliberate Public Trust and Strategic Communication blueprint: a framework requiring agencies to identify their major stakeholders, anticipate likely public concerns, develop communication plans before policies launch, establish highly efficient mechanisms for receiving and responding to feedback, and set clear standards for crisis communication. Most importantly, communication must be consistent.

Trust cannot be built through one press conference, restored through one television appearance, or manufactured through publicity. It accumulates gradually when citizens repeatedly receive accurate information, watch government explain its decisions, and see institutions acknowledge mistakes when they occur. Finally, government agencies must rethink their relationship with journalists. The media’s responsibility is to hold government accountable, and a healthy working relationship should never reduce journalists to cheerleaders. When journalists have access to accurate information, data, documents and knowledgeable officials, they report policies more accurately and challenge government more effectively.

Government should see the media as an essential part of the communication ecosystem, not merely an audience for press releases. The distance between government and the governed will not close on its own. It closes only when those in power decide that being understood is as important as being obeyed and communicate accordingly, consistently, and before the questions are asked.

•Fagbemigun, a communications strategist and perception manager, writes in from Abuja via [email protected]