Malagi: A Departure from Aggressive Propaganda to Productive PR, by Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

Malagi: A Departure from Aggressive Propaganda to Productive PR, by Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

There’s a frequent saying that if all a person has is a hammer, he sees each downside as a nail. However on this dynamic, modern occasions, it doesn’t appear like each downside is a nail. It’s not each scenario that requires the hard-hitting measures a hammer presents. Some issues require a softer method.

That’s the reason within the technique of recruiting individuals into delicate positions, leaders ought to examine the temperament of potential appointees earlier than taking selections on them. Even essentially the most competent particular person would fail on the job if his temperament was both not match for the workplace or not good for the time.

For the reason that return of democracy in 1999, the Folks’s Democratic Social gathering (PDP) was in energy for a complete of 16 years because the opposition persistently didn’t wrestle energy from it in 2003, 2007 and 2011. However when 2015 was approaching, a rejuvenated and united opposition made up its thoughts that it should occur in 2015 or by no means, and for it to occur, one thing should give. A change of technique and method, and the injection of aggressive propaganda into their communication to utterly incite the voters towards the ruling occasion and the then President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, needed to occur.

A sure residing legend, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, headed the opposition occasion’s communication group and with seeming combative propaganda, he did incalculable injury to the popularity and electoral possibilities of the PDP. Earlier than the leaders of the ruling occasion might realise what hit them, they have been out of energy.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders believed within the in style phrases of Gloria Steinem that “energy shouldn’t be given, it’s taken,” and went out for it with all of the techniques they may discover within the textbook.

After profitable energy, Alhaji Lai Mohammed grew to become the Minister of Info and official spokesperson of the administration. It’s believed in some quarters that the previous struggle horse didn’t utterly drop his combative method after then. This might be as a result of the APC was new in workplace and for it to win a minimum of two extra successive elections, stabilise and consolidate energy, a number of the 2015 type wanted to be deployed.

*The Final Expertise Hunter*
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finished so effectively that individuals attribute a number of expertise and skills to him. His biggest asset nonetheless stays his expertise searching expertise. In the middle of his enviable political profession, he has at all times discovered the most effective and he places sq. pegs in sq. holes. He doesn’t appoint somebody who’s carrying hammer when the job at hand doesn’t require it. And when the scenario requires hammer, President Tinubu goes for a sledgehammer!

After recruiting Alhaji Lai Mohammed to convey the APC to energy and stabilise it for some time, President Tinubu knew it was time for a recent method to talking for presidency.

*Malagi is Cooked for the Job*
When the then writer of Blueprint Newspapers, Mohammed Idris Malagi, was listed amongst ministerial nominees final 12 months, everybody who is aware of, knew that President Tinubu had struck gold once more and Spokespersons’ Digest boldly predicted that this gold was going to be deployed because the picture maker of the administration.

Malagi is a media entrepreneur par excellence. His nomination by President Tinubu didn’t come to many as a shock, as he had established himself as a distinguished determine within the realm of Nigerian media and public relations.

In his illustrious profession as a writer, expert PR professional, and model builder, Malagi had earned widespread recognition and respect in Nigeria’s media panorama.

Malagi had at all times devoted himself to enhancing the observe of public relations, significantly in northern Nigeria. He actively participates within the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) actions and performs a pivotal position in increasing its attain.

He was elected chairman of the NIPR, Kaduna chapter, for 2 consecutive phrases. Moreover, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Public Relations Consultants Affiliation of Nigeria (PRCAN). Together with his profound understanding of the media panorama, he was well-equipped to bridge the hole between the federal government and the general public, guaranteeing that correct and well timed info reaches the lots.

His visionary method to model constructing and strategic communication is now enjoying an important position in enhancing Nigeria’s world picture and attracting overseas investments in tens of millions of {dollars}.

Moreover, Malagi’s management is bringing a recent perspective to the understanding of presidency enterprise, fostering transparency and selling open dialogue with residents.

*Skilled PR Takes Centre Stage*
Malagi’s time because the Minister of Info is a proud second for PR observe within the nation because the Tinubu administration is inspired to nominate licensed Public relations professionals as Spokespersons.

Moderately than selecting quacks on the roadside, and in step with the related legal guidelines and the constant advocacy by the NIPR, key organs of presidency now have licensed PR individuals as spokespersons. That embody the spokespersons of the Central Financial institution of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigeria Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted (NNPCL), safety companies and plenty of high places of work, particularly within the public sector.

Together with his calm and delicate disposition, Malagi has introduced one thing completely different into the administration of the connection between the Tinubu-led administration and the general public. Each APC partisans, opposition supporters and neutrals can testify that beneath Malagi, authorities representatives not discuss down on them and ask them to close up after they criticise what’s going on within the nation.

Apart using periodic and well timed press statements and tv appearances to deal with burning nationwide points with information and sincerity of goal, Malagi permits different stakeholders together with public officers to offer the precise info in a accountable method to disarm offended Nigerians. Below Malagi, no abuse, blackmailing or bullying of presidency critics.

The place mandatory, he additionally deploys third-party methods for counter and different narratives in explaining authorities insurance policies, programmes, actions and imaginative and prescient to the individuals with none air of conceitedness. It’s not shocking that credible people and teams use information, figures and in-depth data of points to clarify developments within the polity in help of the federal government within the typical and social media.

The truth is, on account of gasoline subsidy elimination, floating of the Naira and another insurance policies that appear to not be working but as Nigerians grapple with inflation, excessive value of products and low buying energy, the one causes the residents will not be on the streets protesting is the calming affect of these behind the strategic communication of Tinubu’s administration.

*Final Line*
Even within the midst of the present challenges, there are numerous Nigerians keen to present the President the advantage of doubt as a result of they see the sincerity in his imaginative and prescient and so they respect the clear-headedness with which Malagi engages them.

There may be clearly no different to good governance. However there is no such thing as a good governance with out sacrifices particularly in a rustic that has been mismanaged over time.

Whereas Nigerians stay affected person as a result of they imagine within the President they voted for, there needs to be a Malagi to inform the world what the federal government is doing to repair the nation in addition to what they’ve achieved to this point.

Each administration wants a an expert PR particular person in time like this.

Abdulrahman Abdulraheem is Managing Editor at Picture Service provider Promotion (IMPR) and the writer of “eNaira Revolution: A Peep into Nigeria’s Cashless Future”