As someone who not only clamored but also campaigned vigorously for ‘change’ in this year’s Presidential and General Elections, I feel it expedient to inform you, sir, in your capacity as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Mr. President, about my serious concern regarding the need for a media strategy, which, well …currently is none existent.

I have great respect and admiration for your talent, competency and achievements. Besides, I appreciate the enormity of the task at hand. That aside, you know if you have a good and effective media rolling plan, you should be able to proactively set the tone for and generate the news rather than become the news. Sadly, so far, it has been the latter.

Like many Nigerians, I was quite elated when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed you as his SA on Media and Publicity. I felt you were someone who would cogently sell the President’s successes and with integrity, explain and put a spin on his missteps all in an effort to make his administration look good. Believe me perception is extremely important. I am yet to see such positive perception. In fact, so far, most of what I see are twitter messages from your handle giving us a log on the President’s whereabouts. This is the same twitter that you barely had up to a hundred followers before your appointment as SA. To date, the only thing that has come out of your office which was right on the money, was a graphic illustration of President Buhari’s first 100 days titled, ‘TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AT PRESIDENT BUHARI’S FIRST 100 DAYS’. It was commendably informative, analytical and interesting. However, you can’t succeed in running a media team with hit singles every hundred days.

Before I lay forth my advice, I am assuming that you have direct access to especially most official things the President is saying and/or doing regarding affairs of our nation. Certainly, that is part of the prerequisite to doing your job properly.

Thus, here we go: Undoubtedly, you need a well-focused and targeted proactive media plan that is able to sell PMB’s message (the ‘what he intends to do’) and achievements (the ‘he has done or is doing what he told you he intended to do’). Importantly, your strategy needs to be well coordinated. All key information needs to be vetted by you. We live in a country where any information gap is filled with conspiracy theories, rumors and lies. At times, multiple events happen simultaneously like an unfortunate bomb explosion in Borno State occurring the same time a prominent Nigerian is abducted by herdsmen also occurring at the same time Nigeria is absent at a major United nations-related event in New York. Your plan needs to have its fingers on every major happening with responses sent in a very timely manner. Any response not made immediately, would at best be viewed as an afterthought. Mr. Adesina, there are many educated and experienced Nigerians especially the youth that can help you do the job flawlessly. To be sure, you need social media foot soldiers, brilliant and ‘good looking for TV’ public analysts, weekly opinion columnists, and so forth. And there are many such patriotic folks out there who would support you for free. You only need to reach out and cultivate them.

Many Nigerians expect the communication gap and confusion created by previous administrations to change, especially with PMB’s ‘government of change-for-the-better.’ Certainly, sending tweets in CAPITAL LETTERS all on your own will not bridge that gap, but, a proactive and robust media strategy would.

Best regards,
Sadiq Muhammed
Follow Sadiq on twitter @sadiqlagos

No Sir. We don't want this government to be run like a campaign. Thanks

undisputedk:
No Sir. We don't want this government to be run like a campaign.
Thanks

I agree 100%

Is this a kind of application letter?

How can someone who wants sincerity in governance be interested a a large and sophisticated propaganda machinery.


They sincerely don't see this administration as a Nigeria project. But a Buhari thing. Where he must be correct at all times. He can never be wrong, he most be protected even if he's wrong.


That's sycophancy. Not patriotism. It's moronic.

The OP, you are well spot on. Mr. Adesina is not projecting PMB's administration in any good way. He needs help and I hope he appreciates this and do something asap. No matter how good your product is, if you don't have a good marketing strategy in place, the product will be rubbished if it ever gets to the market.