General
COVID-19: Experts Advocate Collective Approach to Public Affairs Function
Communications and Public Affairs experts have advocated for collective and strategic engagement efforts to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 on businesses and governance.
They also emphasised that Public Affairs function as a management function has become the new deal breaker for organizations that want to thrive during this COVID-19 crisis period.
These were some of the resolutions advanced at a webinar held on June 10, 2010 and hosted by Re-Ignite Public Affairs Limited with the theme Managing the Public Affairs Function Post COVID-19.
The carefully selected panellists who are authorities in the field of communications, government relations, stakeholders’ engagement, financial communication, policy research and analysis representing various sectors shared their experiences with hundreds of participants from across the continent.
They included Sade Morgan, Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Ade Adefeko, Vice President, Corporate & Government Relations, Olam Nigeria; Emeka Oparah, Vice President, Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, Airtel Nigeria; and Olufemi Awoyemi, Founder/ Chairman Proshare Nigeria.
The session was anchored by the President of African Public Relations Association APRA and Group Managing Director of CMC Connect Limited (Perception Managers), Yomi Badejo-Okusanya.
The panellists emphasized how core programmes under the Public Affairs function have become handy in moving businesses forward, engaging various stakeholders, creating corporate relevance and reinforcing brand equity in the face of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on the effect of the lockdown on her organisation, Sade Morgan, Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc described their experience in terms of “the good, the bad and the ugly”.
“This period has challenged the organizations to work differently with stakeholders. We have seen a lot of changes in the way we work; going digital as a country and this has brought about a lot of efficiency.
“This crisis has particularly put corporate affairs at the heart of the business, because we came in strategically to being at our optimal best for the growth of the business.
“By engaging our external stakeholders, we are securing business continuity in different ways; we are delivering communications on various internal engagement platforms to keep our human capital motivated,” she said.
With regards to Government Relations “we need to understand that government cannot do it all. To drive business continuity and keep economic activity going, Public Affairs role is to ensure that government has full visibility of what is going on with us in the private sector” Morgan pointed.
In his own submission, Olufemi Awoyemi, Founder/Chairman of Proshare Nigeria posited that the Public Affairs function, during this pandemic, has been at the heart of some of the most important issues of the day.
With lives at stake, the private sector has worked closely with government, which has been in a full listening mode, to address the challenge of lives at stake and livelihood palliatives to be delivered through such private sector led coalitions like the CaCOVID. Those who did nothing will be called out at a later date, he said.
“This is a teachable moment for anyone involved in the craft to understand that the rules of the game has been rewritten already and that public communications is back as No. 1, and that enhanced state involvement is here to stay. Putting a dedicated person in charge of governmental affairs reflects or engaging a dedicated Public Affairs professional is the best understanding that to get anything done now, and in the future, will require government engagement. For the professionals, this is a two-way street that is less travelled.
“For the Public Affairs function, it is now, more than ever before, about reputation management (not brand management) and being a deal broker; a minder for the firm”, Awoyemi stated.
For Ade Adefeko, Vice President, Corporate & Government Relations, Olam Nigeria, lobbying and engagement are key to business survival. “There is nothing that you need to get done in the future that will not require government engagement,” he said.
Adefeko debunked the wrong notion equating lobbying as bribery. “Lobbying is an accepted engagement tool that must be done professionally without pecuniary consideration. I have been doing this successfully for years.
“To do it effectively, you must bear in mind the end game from the beginning. Your objective must be defined, and your communication specific. Your set goals to what needs to be achieved must be highlighted.
“However, there is need for public affairs professionals to understand the mandate of government agencies for them to be able to design appropriate strategies in engaging the government”, Adefeko advised.
While Emeka Oparah, Vice President, Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, Airtel Nigeria, charged public affairs managers to collaborate and coordinate at this trying time.
“This period has taught us to engage more, we can exchange contacts and resources. As a public Affairs person you should know what you want and where to go and get it. You should have a network of people of influence within your network.
“There is need for you to understand your organization and its people in order to be able to articulate issues for seamless business operations,” he said.
The moderator Badejo-Okusanya cued in some participants for their views and they included, Abdul Waheed Patel, Chief Executive Officer of Ethicore Political Lobbying, South Africa; Temitope Oguntokun, Director, Corporate Affairs + Legal at ABinbev; Tony Ojobo, immediate past Public Affairs Director of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); and Anthony Chiejina. Group Head, Corporate Communications for Dangote Group.
All panellists also agree that relationship management is key for a successful Public Affairs function and network of influence are part of critical success factors for Public Affairs practitioner.
Participants thoroughly enjoyed and indicated interest in participating in future public affairs webinars by Reignite Public Affairs.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Young bloggers, online content creators and digital influencers have been charged to embrace ethical journalism, responsible storytelling and fact-based reporting as they shape public opinion in the digital age.
This task was given by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris, during the Niger State Bloggers, Online Publishers and Content Developers Forum on Monday in Abuja.
In a statement on Tuesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Rabiu Ibrahim, the Minister said digital platforms offer enormous opportunities for innovation and civic engagement but must be used responsibly to promote truth, national unity and constructive public discourse.
He urged bloggers and content creators to verify information before publication, reject misinformation and disinformation, avoid sensationalism, and use their platforms to educate, inspire and promote national development.
Mr Idris also encouraged young Nigerians to see digital content creation not only as a source of income but also as a tool for civic engagement and nation-building, stressing that ethical communication is essential to strengthening democracy and public trust.
He further encouraged aspiring bloggers and digital entrepreneurs to continue developing their skills and uphold professional standards that will strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s online media ecosystem.
“There is no democracy that can thrive without a responsible media. You cannot carry freedom and abandon responsibility,” he stated, adding that the government remains committed to protecting press freedom while encouraging ethical journalism.
The Minister also highlighted the establishment of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI), the world’s first UNESCO Category 2 Institute dedicated exclusively to Media and Information Literacy, describing it as a major step in promoting digital literacy and responsible online engagement.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed that Mr Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, signed agreements committing himself to serving only one four-year term if elected in 2027.
Mr Kwankwaso explained that the documents comprised a formal agreement involving the political party and a separate personal accord between himself and Mr Obi.
According to Mr Kwankwaso, the deal stipulates that the presidency will return to Northern Nigeria in 2031 upon the completion of an Obi-led administration’s four-year tenure, if elected next year.
“We have agreed to formalise it in writing,” Mr Kwankwaso stated. “We have executed one document for the party and another between the two of us,” he revealed during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today late on Monday.
He reiterated that Mr Obi would honour his pledge and resist pressure to seek a second term, expressing confidence in the former Anambra State governor, noting that his interactions had convinced him that he would respect the agreement.
“I personally believe him, and, based on what I now know about him, I do not believe he will change his mind when the time comes,” he said. “We are all gentlemen.”
Mr Kwankwaso added that he and Mr Obi would continue to collaborate after the proposed administration completes its term.
“The agreement is that after four years, we will continue to work together as a group, as a party, and as friends and brothers,” he said. “After our four-year term, from 2027 to 2031, power returns to the North. That is the consensus.”
The former defence minister did not state that he would be the NDC presidential candidate in 2031; his comments referred broadly to the presidency returning to the North, rather than to his personal political ambitions.
Mr Obi has repeatedly pledged to serve only one term if elected; however, he has yet to publicly confirm the specific details of the documents described by Mr Kwankwaso.
In the 2023 Presidential polls, Mr Obi was the Labour Party presidential candidate while Mr Kwankwaso contested on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 1.14 million hectares of degraded land have been restored by the Nigerian government, with more than 1.5 million trees planted across the country in the past year.
This information was revealed by the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Abbas Lawal, at the 2026 Top Management Retreat and National Tree Planting Campaign in Maiduguri, Borno State.
He said these achievements were made through initiatives of the federal government like the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project and the National Agency for the Great Green Wall.
According to him, the restoration of the land and the planting of trees demonstrate a clear national commitment to securing environmental sustainability while advancing economic growth.
The Minister reemphasised that the environment is not an abstract concept, pointing out that “it is the air we breathe, the land that feeds us, the rivers that sustain communities, and the climate that shapes the future.”
He praised Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State for his giant strides in the environment sector in the state, urging other state governors to emulate him by providing sponsorship for their students to the various Federal Colleges of Forestry Resources Management institutions located across the six geo-political zones of the country to encourage and boost Forest education in the country.
He described the decision of Mr Zulum to sponsor 540 indigenes of the state to a forestry college in Maiduguri as commendable.
Mr Lawal also informed the participants of the programme that the Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025, is a key policy instrument under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying it protects Nigeria’s forest resources, curbs illegal logging, and encourages tree planting as a national duty.
He pledged the Federal Ministry of Environment’s continued partnership with state governments on afforestation, ecosystem restoration, and other interventions tailored to their needs.
“Nigeria’s environmental future can be secured by protecting natural heritage, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing inclusive and sustainable development for present and future generations,” he declared.
