Analysts suggest qualities of new information minister
As President Muhammadu Buhari is set to appoint members of his cabinet that will run the affairs of the country, communication experts have suggested the qualities the new minister of information should possess.
They said the new minister who should not necessarily be a politician or come from the media, should also not be a government rubber stamp but should have the ability to carry the populace along on government programmes.
The new minister should have the capacity to properly explain government policies to the people, receive public reactions and communicate the same to the government. According the analysts, this process will help set agenda for the government instead of government setting agenda for the people.
Assessing the critical role of the information minister, Ade Adefeko, a media analyst based in Lagos said the new minister must be a nexus between the people and the government who must be a technocrat and not necessarily politician who will be subject to the government machination.
The CEO of Blueflower, a PR agency, Chido Nwakanma who said that the Ministry of Information is the officially designated organ for organising and handling communication about Nigeria said unfortunately, it still operates in the “information” arena rather than in the sophisticated world of “communication”. While one deals with the one-way dissemination or just speaking, the latter deals with listening as well as talking.
He said whoever heads that ministry in this dispensation must first embark on a change of orientation, if not a change of nomenclature.
Nwakanma who cited former President Goodluck Jonathan’s admission of failure of his communications team said the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has taken off on the wings of effective communication during the elections. To succeed, he must continually manage communication scientifically and in line with best practices.
As democracy deepens in Nigeria, communication managers must get granular and scientific. The presence of many channels and platforms has empowered citizens, and there is growing number of advocacy groups as well. It is good for the country but calls for a different form of communication architecture and orientation.
According to him, stakeholder perception audits must be integral to what the Ministry does for the Government. “It should serve in the best traditions as a sensor, gathering intelligence that would inform the plans and activities of the Presidency as well as other ministries”.
In his comment, the chairman of Outdoor Advertisers Association of Nigeria, OAAN, Charles Chijide said the new minister should have communication competence to be able to communicate issues that will improve the belief of the people and assist to create good branding for Nigeria. He agreed that the minister should not necessarily be a politician but a technocrat who can explain government programmes.
Akonte Ekine, the CEO of Absolute PR said the role of the minister is to communicate the vision of government to the people and get the people feedback to government.
In its view, Association of Advertisers Agencies of Nigeria, AAAN, said that the new role of the Ministry of Information is far beyond the traditional role of acting as a catalyst in disseminating information and management of the information machinery of the government.
In view of the strategic importance of the Information Ministry, the ideal Minister, AAAN believes, should have a record of accomplishment in brand building and executing high impact communication strategies and frameworks in the interest of the nation.
The association said the Minister of Information at this stage in the history of the country, should be a thoroughbred professional with relevant experience in integrated marketing communication, information strategy & management and brand building in order to put in place and manage a national communication plan and rebranding process in line with best global practices.