A concerning pattern across Nigeria and much of Africa is the belief among many government spokespersons that governance communication is public relations (PR), often laced with denial, half-truths, or outright propaganda. For many of them, their primary responsibility is to promote and defend the government at all costs.
This thinking is precisely where communication crises begin.
Governance communication is not about selling an image. It is about informing citizens, fostering transparency, explaining policies, facilitating dialogue, and strengthening institutional accountability.
When communication is reduced to promotion and image management, democracy suffers. Public trust erodes, and citizens are treated as audiences to be persuaded rather than stakeholders to be engaged.
Once those entrusted with communicating governance begin to see themselves as brand managers, the focus shifts from empowering citizens with information to managing perception. That is a dangerous path and often a recipe for systemic failure.
In reality, many policy failures and development setbacks in government are not merely governance failures; they are communication failures.
In the last three months, I have had the opportunity to engage with more than 20 senior government officials in Nigeria, including political office holders, political appointees, and top public servants. These discussions revealed.
For many politicians, communication means finding individuals who can aggressively defend the government, attack the opposition, and absorb public anger, even if it requires distortion or denial.
Among many public servants, communication is still largely seen as public relations, issuing statements, managing media narratives, and projecting positive images.
What is missing in both perspectives is a fundamental understanding that communication in governance should be about dialogue, negotiation, citizen engagement, and empowerment.
This misunderstanding partly explains why governments often struggle to communicate policies effectively or build public trust around development programmes.
There is an urgent need to rethink how governance communication is understood and practiced.
We need a new generation of communication professionals who understand that communication is not merely publicity, branding, or social media activity. It is a strategic process of building trust, facilitating participation, and enabling citizens to engage meaningfully with governance.
In earlier times, when access to information was limited, denial and propaganda could sometimes succeed in shaping public perception. But in today’s information age, where citizens have unprecedented access to information, such approaches are no longer sustainable.
Modern governance communication must be built on truth, transparency, accountability, and sincerity.
Without these principles, communication will continue to deepen distrust between governments and citizens.
If the current pattern continues, the problem will not simply be a failure of political leadership, but also a failure of communication practice itself.
Because communication, when properly understood and practiced, is not merely the exchange of information, it is a foundation for development.
Audu Liberty Oseni, PhD
Director, Centre for Development Communication
Email: libertydgreat@gmail.com
