Policy analyst and Convener Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group (BAT-IG), Bamidele Atoyebi has said weak communication by political appointees is diminishing the impact of government programmes and creating a wide gap between governance performance and public perception.

Atoyebi stated that regardless of policy achievements or infrastructure delivery, the inability of officials to effectively communicate government actions to citizens often leaves many initiatives unnoticed and underappreciated.

He described the challenge as a major communication deficit, arguing that a large number of appointees have not matched policy implementation with adequate public engagement.

Drawing a comparison with the private sector, he said governance requires deliberate communication strategies to ensure citizens understand policies and benefit from available opportunities.

According to him, many reforms and empowerment programmes introduced at the federal, state and local government levels fail to gain traction because intended beneficiaries are unaware of them.

He noted that programmes such as loans for traders, farmers and small business owners could lose relevance if they are poorly publicised.

Atoyebi also pointed to what he described as a communication gap in Northern Nigeria, saying many government initiatives in the region are not properly explained in local languages or presented in relatable formats.

He said while social media has helped improve policy visibility in parts of the South, the North still faces significant information challenges that sometimes allow misinformation to thrive.

The analyst criticised some public officials for treating government achievements as private matters, warning that silence in the digital age is often interpreted by the public as inactivity.

“If people are not told what government is doing, many will assume nothing is being done,” he said.

He, however, commended some public office holders for combining policy delivery with strategic communication.

Among those he cited were Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, whom he praised for simplifying tax reforms and improving public understanding of fiscal matters.

He also mentioned Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Minister of Interior Tunji Ojo, and Minister of Finance Taiwo Oyedele as examples of officials who have used consistent communication to strengthen trust and shape public perception.

Atoyebi said some attempts to compile records of achievements by certain appointees were unsuccessful because they could not provide verifiable details of projects or initiatives.

He suggested that in some instances, poor communication may also reflect weak policy execution.

Referencing recent remarks credited to Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, the analyst said federal government efforts in Northern Nigeria are not receiving adequate publicity from political appointees in the region.

He added that major development initiatives, including regional commissions established across the six geopolitical zones, require sustained visibility to achieve their intended outcomes.