The Federal Government is seeking a more coordinated approach to bridging the gap between government and the people.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says rebuilding public trust must go beyond communicating government policies and achievements to listening to citizens, addressing their concerns and ensuring that their voices are reflected in governance.
He made this known at a meeting with APC state commissioners of information, where he called for a unified communication strategy across the board.
Communicating policies and programmes effectively is as important as implementing them.
But beyond telling the government’s story, the challenge of winning public confidence requires a communication structure that speaks to the realities, expectations and concerns of Nigerians.
This formed the focus of the meeting between the Minister of Information and National Orientation and APC state commissioners of information.
The meeting is aimed at harmonising government messaging across federal and state levels, ensuring that policies, reforms and programmes are communicated with a common understanding and a consistent narrative.
Mohammed Idris charged the commissioners to take responsibility for effectively communicating the government’s response to the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians, especially as the country navigates economic reforms.
But beyond communicating government achievements, the minister expressed concern over the growing trust deficit between government and citizens, which must be tackled.
He emphasised that rebuilding public trust cannot be achieved through one-way communication or repeated government messaging.
Rather, it requires deliberate efforts to listen to citizens, understand their criticisms, respond to their concerns and use feedback to improve policies and governance.
For the Federal Government, the bigger task is to ensure that communication becomes a two-way process, one that not only informs Nigerians about government activities but also gives citizens a voice.
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Editor: Ada Ononye
