Minister charges information officers to align messaging with Renewed Hope Agenda

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has called on information officers to ensure that government communication is unified, credible, and aligned with the administration’s agenda.

Speaking at an interactive session with Directors of Information and Resident Information Officers (RIOs) across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), the minister emphasised that coordinated communication is essential for advancing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The session, themed “Aligning Public Information with the Renewed Hope Agenda: Rebuilding Trust through Effective, Transparent Communication,” focused on strengthening public trust through professionalism and consistency.

“Public trust is our most important capital. Once credibility is lost, no amount of messaging can fix it,” Idris said, stressing that honesty, credibility, and consistency must guide the work of all information officers. He warned that fragmented messaging and parallel communication channels weaken government credibility and create confusion, insisting that the government must communicate with a single, clear voice.

The minister urged RIOs to act as active partners within their host MDAs, engaging proactively with Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, and agency leadership. He highlighted professionalism, relevance, and initiative as key to earning trust and influence.

Addressing the challenges posed by misinformation and rapid digital media, Idris noted the importance of timely and accurate communication, stressing that delays often create space for false narratives.

While reaffirming the government’s commitment to freedom of expression, he emphasized that it must be exercised responsibly.

Idris also outlined steps to strengthen the professionalism of the information cadre, including mandatory reporting, improved deployment processes, continuous training, and enhanced institutional support.

He disclosed that the government has begun restoring the National Institute of Public Information to boost capacity-building for public communicators.

He concluded by calling for teamwork and mutual respect, reminding participants that they play a central role in projecting government policies and achievements, and must align their efforts with the priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The event was attended by the SSA to the President on Media and Special Duties, Tunde Rahman; the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Ogbodo Chinansa Nnam; the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali Mohammed-Ali, represented by Editor-in-Chief Mufutau Ojo; the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and Malam Jibrin Ndace, Director General of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Malam Salihu Dembos, amongst others.