Nigerian Vice President, Kashim Shettima has called on experts and professionals in the public relations sector to join federal government in crafting the right narratives to change the Nigerian story and reinvent the society.
Shettima made the call during the opening of the first National Spokespersons Summit, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Vice President who was ably represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, said time and time again, the President Bola Tinubu, has reassured the nation of his belief in citizen communication and engagement.
Shettima added that the President believes that the citizens of Nigeria must, by right and necessity, be well-informed, truthfully, accurately, and in a timely manner, saying this is the most practical antidote to the waves of partisan and sectional agendas promoted by hacks invested in tearing the nation apart.
According to him, “As experts and professionals, this is an invitation for you to partner with us in crafting the right narratives to change the Nigerian story and reinvent our society. As spokespersons, you hold unique responsibility. You are the voice of your organizations or principals, representing their values, visions, missions, and aspirations to the public.
“You bear the burden of bridging divides, fostering understanding, and inspiring change. Through your commitments and sacrifices, the voices of the misrepresented and the misunderstood are amplified, and the vision of a better tomorrow is brought to fruition.
“The power of the spokesperson comes with great responsibility to communicate with clarity. The evolving global media landscape makes your job more complex than ever before. The rise of social media has not only given birth to a 24/7 news cycle, where information spreads at lightning speed, but it has also stretched your sanity to another dimension.
“Today, you are not only the spokesperson, a gatekeeper of truth, but also a defender of the public at mercy of fake news merchants and their impressionable mercenaries. Every day, we become further convinced that we can never win war against misinformation and disinformation unless our responses to them are timely and evidence-based.
“You don’t need to be reminded that you are a pillar of the nation’s security framework. While your combat operations only require your pens and electronic communication devices, the threat you neutralise saves the lives of even our military and para-military operatives fighting a different type of war”, the Vice President said.
Shettima asked these experts to always listen and internalise feedback. “You must engage with people of diverse perspectives, foster dialogues, and build consensus. This is a small price to pay for aggregating the needs and expectations of this diverse nation.
“So, always leave a seat empty for any group to join your table and don’t treat anyone as inconsequential because their views don’t align with yours. The ultimate wisdom of this gathering lies in its significant investment in national integration through effective communication.
“When spokespersons from across all platforms, sectors, and industries come together to share best practices, learn from one another, and forge new partnerships, the outcome can only be in the national interest. It is my sincere hope that this summit will strengthen enthusiasm of all spokespersons to bridge divides, inspire commitment, and induce actions that drive the change we desire”, he said.
In his opening address, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris said the summit is a pivotal event aimed at transforming the landscape of communication in Nigeria.
Speaking on the theme of the summit, “Change Narrative, Change Society,” he said it resonates deeply with the challenges facing Nigerians, says Nigeria, a diversely blessed and vibrant country, grapples with the need to create a cohesive national identity; one that transcends ethnicity, religion, and political affiliations.
The Minister stated that as communication professionals, who play a crucial role in shaping perceptions, disseminating accurate information, and fostering trust, while added that the nation’s peace, stability, growth, and development can only be attained by how these professionals communicate.
He said, “we must recognize the critical role play by effective communication in shaping narratives, building trust, and fostering understanding. Whether we’re seasoned PR professionals, budding communicators, or someone curious about the power of words, this Summit provides a platform for growth, learning, networking, and collaboration”.
The Minister noted that the future of communication points towards technology, but for technology to make a meaningful impact, it must be anchored on trust. “Trust remains a critical element in building relationships; be it at personal, group, and even community levels.
“As spokespersons, we need to make conscious efforts to build trust and restore hope wherever we are. Building, maintaining trust must be a collective responsibility. For trust to have value, it must be anchored on authenticity, transparency, and consistency”.
He revealed that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation is on the verge of unveiling the Nigeria Values Charter, which embodies a social contract between the country and its citizens and will serve as a blueprint and policy for a national value system, defining Nigerians and reinforcing their personality as citizens.
Idris said, “The new policy, which will be launched this year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, consists of the Nigerian Promise and the Citizen Codes, which have seven pillars each. The government intends to incorporate these values into formal, informal, and vocational educational policies to ensure that they are not only imbibed but engrained in the minds of the citizens.
“The unique thing about this Values Charter is that it is a Social Contract between the government and the citizens and it contains Seven Core Obligations of the Nigerian state to its citizens as well as Seven Commitments of the citizens towards their country.
He added, “The premise of the Values Charter is that Government as represented by elected and appointed representatives who must fulfill some basic non-negotiable promises, in return for fundamental commitments from the citizens which will ensure the fulfillment of the Social contract between the government and the citizens”.
The dignitaries who also spoke at the Summit is the Chairman Governor Forum and Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq represented by the Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Capital Market, Sen. Osita Izunaso and the host, President, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr Ike Neliaku among others.