By Moruff Adenekan

One of the most overlooked challenges confronting governance in Nigeria today is not the absence of policies, programmes, or public officials willing to speak. It is the absence of effective strategic communication.

Across federal, state, and local government institutions, communication is too often treated as an afterthought rather than an essential component of governance. The result is a growing disconnect between government actions and public understanding, between policy intentions and public perception, and ultimately between leaders and the citizens they serve. The consequences are increasingly evident.

When major incidents occur—security breaches, public health emergencies, infrastructure failures, industrial disputes, policy controversies, or national tragedies—one recurring pattern often emerges: silence.

Citizens wait for information. The media searches for answers. Rumours begin to circulate. Social media fills the vacuum. Misinformation spreads, and speculation thrives. Yet in many instances, the relevant government institution remains conspicuously absent from the conversation.

Hours pass. Sometimes days. Then, eventually, a statement emerges; often defensive, reactive, incomplete, or disconnected from the concerns already dominating public discourse. This raises legitimate questions. Are government institutions unaware of major incidents affecting the public? Do they lack mechanisms for gathering and verifying information quickly? Or do they simply underestimate the importance of public engagement? Whatever the explanation, the outcome is the same: a loss of trust.

Nigeria has witnessed several instances where official communication lagged behind public discourse. During major security incidents, citizens have often relied on citizen journalists’ crowd-sourced social media updates before hearing from the authorities. During periods of fuel subsidy reforms, foreign exchange adjustments, and nationwide protests, conflicting messages from different government officials sometimes created more confusion than clarity.

In today’s information space, silence is a BIG message. When the government fails to communicate during critical moments, citizens inevitably draw their own conclusions. Unfortunately, those conclusions are often shaped by speculation rather than facts.

Effective governance requires more than good intentions and making good-looking decisions. It requires explaining those decisions, managing expectations, providing clarity during uncertainty, and maintaining public confidence during periods of crisis. Unfortunately, many public institutions appear ill-equipped for this responsibility.

One of the most expensive assumptions in Nigerian governance is the belief that good speakers automatically make good communicators. They do not!

There is a significant difference between eloquence and strategic communication. A person may possess exceptional command of language, perform brilliantly on television, and confidently defend government policies, yet still fail as a government communicator.

Communication referred to here is not about sounding intelligent. It is about ensuring that people understand, trust, and appropriately respond to information. It involves audience analysis, message development, stakeholder engagement, reputation management, behavioural influence, crisis communication, and trust building.

We have seen many public institutions continue to assemble communication teams based on political loyalty, visibility, activism, or perceived eloquence or writing skills rather than professional strategic communications expertise. The result is predictable.

Far too often, official communication appears designed for political allies rather than ordinary citizens. This disconnect is especially evident during periods of economic hardship, when citizens want explanations that acknowledge their realities rather than technical arguments that dismiss their concerns. Facts matter. But empathy matters too.

Perhaps the most troubling issue, however, is the apparent absence of crisis communication planning across many public institutions. How many ministries, departments, and agencies have documented crisis communication protocols?

How many have designated spokespersons trained specifically for emergency communication? How many conduct simulation exercises to test their readiness for security incidents, policy failures, industrial disputes, public protests, or reputational crises? These are not theoretical questions. They are our realities.

In many advanced governance systems, crisis communication planning is treated as seriously as operational planning. Institutions prepare for likely scenarios before they occur. Communication chains are established. Approval processes are defined. Response frameworks are tested.

The objective is simple: when a crisis occurs, the institution speaks quickly, accurately, and credibly.

In Nigeria, communication often appears improvised. The first response is delayed. The second is defensive. The third attempts damage control. By then, the public narrative has already been shaped by others.

The rise of social media and artificial intelligence makes this challenge even more urgent. False information now spreads globally within minutes. Manipulated videos, fabricated audio recordings, and misleading content can gain traction long before official responses are issued. Communication delays are no longer merely inconvenient. They are dangerous.

Governments at all levels must rethink how they approach public communication. It should not be treated as a ceremonial function or a reward for loyalty. It should be recognised as a strategic governance function requiring specialised expertise and beyond journalistic expertise.

Most importantly, public communication should be guided by one principle: citizens have a right to timely, accurate, and credible information. Nigeria can no longer afford a culture of communication by improvisation.

When the government remains silent during moments of uncertainty, others will fill the vacuum. And by the time the government finally speaks, the public may no longer be listening.

*Adenekan, a strategic communications expert, writes from Lagos.