The three-day capacity-building workshop on Data Management, Public Engagement, and Technology Adoption ended in Kano on Saturday with communication experts calling for stronger collaboration between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the media to enhance transparency, deepen public trust, and support effective governance.
Held from December 5 to 7 at Tahir Guest Palace, the event was organized by the Katsina State Development Management Board (KSDMB) under the leadership of its Executive Secretary, Dr. Mustapha Shehu, who also delivered a paper on Development Communication. The workshop brought together information officers, media aides and senior government personnel for intensive training aimed at modernising communication practices and strengthening institutional capacity for Governance for Development (G4D).
One of the lead resource persons, veteran broadcaster and communication strategist Ahmed Abdulkadir, delivered three key sessions that sparked strong engagement among participants. In his lecture on strengthening collaboration between MDAs and the media, he stressed that transparent and proactive communication is central to good governance. Abdulkadir observed that public institutions often grapple with bureaucratic delays, weak engagement structures and adversarial relations with journalists—gaps that frequently fuel misinformation. He recalled a recent viral video involving a Fulani boy in Delta State, noting how the lack of proper context can turn a trivial incident into a national misunderstanding.
He urged MDAs to establish clearer communication frameworks, including media liaison units, standard operating procedures for information release, and regular briefings. He advised building personal rapport with reporters, cultivating trust, maintaining updated media databases and using tools such as fact sheets, advisories, background briefings and rapid-response channels to ensure that public information is timely and credible.
Abdulkadir’s second session explored the role of the media in advancing Governance for Development (G4D). He explained that development thrives where citizens understand government actions, reminding participants that policy reforms remain ineffective if the public is not properly informed. Using examples such as Premium Times’ exposé on the 2010 fuel subsidy scam and investigations into fraudulent foreign university admissions, he illustrated how the media serves as a bridge between government and citizens, promoting accountability and ensuring that development issues remain visible. He warned that neglecting the media leads to distrust, misinformation and poor uptake of government programmes, highlighting recent community–bandit dialogue efforts that suffered from inadequate communication.
Malam Ahmed Abdulkadir
His final lecture focused on conflict-sensitive reporting and peace journalism, where he underscored the role of government communicators in preventing escalation during crises. Abdulkadir cautioned against ethnic profiling, sensational headlines and unverified reports, advocating instead for neutral, measured language that preserves public stability. He cited the need to reframe inflammatory headlines, proposing alternatives that communicate facts without provoking heightened tensions.
The workshop also featured presentations from other distinguished experts, including Dr. Suleiman Bello of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University (UMYU), who facilitated key sessions on Monitoring and Evaluation, Data Quality Assurance and Data Governance. Dr. Bello’s lectures provided participants with a deeper understanding of how sound data systems underpin effective policy-making and programme implementation.
In his own paper on Development Communication, Dr. Mustapha Shehu emphasised that communication must be integrated into every stage of the governance process—planning, implementation and evaluation. He noted that development initiatives succeed when citizens are properly engaged and informed, commending the participants for their commitment to improving service delivery across Katsina State.
Other facilitators included Dr. Bashir Kurfi, Dr. Ayuba Abdullahi Muhammad, Dr. Abubakar Usman Katsina Ibrahim Almu Gafai and Yusuf Umar Usman, among others, who delivered sessions on digital engagement, artificial intelligence, citizen-centred governance, change management and productivity tools. Their contributions complemented the communication-focused lectures by equipping participants with broader technical and digital competencies essential for modern governance.
Participants described the training as timely and impactful, noting that it offered practical frameworks and tools for enhancing public communication and institutional efficiency. The programme closed with certificate presentations and closing remarks from the organizing team.
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