MANAGING PUBLIC CYNICISM FOR NATION-BUILDING:THE CHALLENGE OF COMMUNICATION

1. MANAGING PUBLIC CYNICISM FOR NATION-BUILDING:THE CHALLENGE OF COMMUNICATION Obadiah Tohomdet Senior Communications Specialist WORLD BANK May 20, 2014 NIPR WEEK, ABUJA, NIGERIA, MAY 20-22, 2014

2. NATION-BUILDING & CYNICISM • Nation-building is a process which leads to the formation of countries in which the citizens feel a sufficient amount of commonality of interests, goals and preferences so that they do not wish to separate from each other. It refers to construction of a national identity (Alberto Alesina, Bryony Reich.2013) • Nationbuilding is the conscious and focused application of people's collective resources, energies, and knowledge to the task of liberating… What id cynicism? • The word "cynicism" generally refers to the opinions of those who are inclined to reject appearances of sincerity, humanvirtue, or altruism, and maintain that self-interest is the primary motive of human behavior. Sources: http://www.abibitumikasa.com/forums/showthread.php/42655-Nationbuilding-definition http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cynicism

3. QUOTES ON CYNICS • A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future. -Sydney J. Harris • The cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a man, and never fails to see a bad one. He is the human owl, vigilant in darkness and blind to light, moussing for vermin, and never seeing noble game. -Henry Ward Beecher • There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing - Maya Angelou. The Truth in Words (2005) • Do these quotes reflect us and the populace? • The definition and quotes seem to give the term “cynicism” a negative connotation. • http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cynicism

4. BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION • PERVERSIVE CYNICISM - • PESSIMISM – A feeling or belief that bad things will happen in the future. A belief that what you hope for will not happen. • An inclination to emphasize adverse aspects , conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome. • SKEPTICISM: A personal disposition toward doubt or incredulity of facts, persons, or institutions. • NEGATIVISM – An attitude of mind marked by skepticism, especially about nearly everything affirmed by others. A tendency to refuse to do, to do the opposite of, or to do something at variance with what is asked.

5. EMOTIVE INFLUENCERS • PERCEPTION • DOUBTS • ATTITUDES • CONFIDENCE • TRUST • BEHAVIOURS • Technical v Adaptive Challenges Adaptive challenges: Political, organizational, and public will are hard to clearly identify as they involve changing hearts, minds and values. Technical challenges can easily be identified and fixed.

6. IMPLICATIONS OF CYNICISM • REJECTION OF POLICIES, PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS - e.g. Population census, Deregulation of oil industry, Privatization, fuel subsidy, Rebasing of the economy etc. • APATHY • HOPLESSNESS • LACK OF SUPPORT • LACK OF PARTICIPATION • LACK OF OWNERSHIP • NEGATIVE COMMENTS

7. PERVASIVE PUBLIC CYNICISM • From media comments and public discourse, Nigerians seem to question every aspect of the nations fabric, leadership, polity, social values, economy etc. • “Nigeria can only be transformed if we all play our parts with commitment and sincerity. Cynicism and skepticism will not help our journey to greatness. Let us all believe in a new Nigeria. Let us work together to build a great country that we will all be proud of.” – President Goodluck Jonathan, Inaugural Speech, May 29, 2011 • “Relationship between the government and the governed is severely undermined by distrust of the government and pervasive lack of faith in national institutions. Nigerians nurse a profound skepticism about the intentions of their political leaders and about the capacity of institutions to deliver on the promise of democracy...prevalent notion is politicians come into office to simply line their pockets.” – Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on Governance. • In his book, “The African Press, Civic Cynicism and Democracy”(2009), Minabere Ibelemi talks of “widespread civic cynicism” as a fundamental obstacle to functioning democratic systems and development within Africa.

8. RESULTANT EFFECT ON NATION-BUILDING • RETARDATION AND STUNTING OF: • SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT • INVESTMENT • POLITY • ECONOMY • GOVERNANCE

9. IMPEDIMENTS • Public cynicism, pessimism and skepticism are major attitudinal impediments and barriers which need to be urgently addressed to allow the Nigerian nation move forward in term of development and governance. • Self doubt seems to have eaten deeply into the Nigerian psyche despite enormous achievements • No nation can succeed with a cynical and negative populace because it takes informed optimism to progress.

10. OPINIONATED • A cynical society is an opinionated rather than knowledge-driven society. In this case, logic and persuasion, rather than facts, could be more convincing. • The cynics seem to have ready and counter interpretations for almost everything – check out the newspapers, websites and Facebook where people counter even facts.

11. CHALLENGES • Success of Reforms or transformations are Based on Hope, Faith and Attitude. • Hope, Faith and Attitudes are not easy with human beings especially in reforms. • Accumulated disappointments with past performances, failures, actions and inactions of individuals, institutions and Governments • Lack of faith, confidence and trust in institutionsand Governments • Organizations nonchalance, corruption etc. • NOTE THAT FAITH(ACTION) IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF DOUBT!!!.

12. KEY TO NATION-BUILDING • The mentioned negatives are communication challenges that could hinder development and nation-building • For Successful nation-building, all relevant stakeholders must be targeted and galvanized, through communication, to support and participate in the process.

13. COMMUNICATION TO THE RESCUE PR Practitioners, as communication experts, are key to development and nation-building and not merely “spint doctors” concerned with “image laundering,” as wrongly perceived. Strategic Communication, as a tool, can address cynicism through awareness, understanding, attitudinal and behavioral change. Strategic communication is the development of programs aimed at influencing the voluntary behavior of target audience(s) to achieve policy, program or project objectives. The lack of planned communication can give rise to the “rumor mill” and a citizenry that is cynical towards government and unwilling to participate in nation-building.

14. GOAL • The goal of communication is to move the populace from the level of cynicism to optimism with subsequent behavioral change(action) for development and nation-building. • This means reform and re-orientation of the mind-set through communication.

15. MAINSTREAM COMMUNICATION • So many policies, programs and projects of Government have been rejected not because they are bad but because they have not been properly communicated from policy formulation to implementation and completion of the projects. • Communication must be mainstream from policy to design and implementation of projects and programs. • There must be communication strategy from conception to completion of projects.

16. MAINSTREAM COMMUNICATION • Are development or strategic communication experts members of the Economic Management (EMT)? • Do all projects go through due diligence for communication compliance? • Are we strategic or adhoc in communicating national policies, programs and projects? • These are recipes for public cynicism

17. CHALLENGE TO PR & COMMUNICATION • Cynicism is pervasive – in traditional and social media, Public fora such as lectures, meetings, workshops as well as public comments and discussions. Foreigners are even more positive. • The media is the chief purveyor and conveyor of public cynicism. • (Spiro Agnew, Former American Vice President once described the American press as “Nattering Nabobs of negativism”(picked from William Safire, columnist of New York Times and later Speech writer for Richard Nixon and Agnew).

18. GLIMS OF CYNICISM IN THE MEDIA • The growing cynicism about Nigeria’s future – Douglas Anele, Vanguard (February 3, 2013). • Cynicism, bane of Goof Governance – Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Nigeria.Dailyindepentnig.com/2013/09/cynicism-bane-good-governance) • Cynicism leads inevitably to apathy…Facebook (www.facebook.com/ekitistate/posts • Cynicism and the Nigerian state – nigerianstalk.org • The keys to progress in Nigeria lies in sincerity, not cynicism – Dr. Akinsanya Juliuson(www.gamji.com/article500) • Relating Trust, cynicism, skepticism and Resistance to change – Semiu Abayomi(saharareporters.com/articles2015-relating-trust) • Of cynicism and the promise of transformation – Sylva Ifedigbo(Dailytimes.com.ng)

19. SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGE • The advent of the social media – face book, twitter, Instagram, Flikr, Youtube, blogs etc. now pose greater challenge to PR, Information and Communication managers who take time to package information before releasing to the public. • It is like the race between the tortoise and the gazelle. • It has created uncontrolled and uncensored multi channels to the chagrin of information and reputation managers. • PR Managers must run even faster than the gazelle or be left gasping behind.

20. MEDIA SKILLS • Nigeria has 1o7 million mobile phone users; 57.7 million Internet subscribers with 48.3 million active subscribers and 11 million Facebook users in addition to 1.65 million twitter accounts- great opportunities for online media. • Need for acquisition of new media skills by PR and Communication Managers • Adoption of the new/social media as channels • Mainstreaming of development issues in sleek entertainment channels and programs to reach the over 60 million youth of Nigeria

21. IMPACT • Cynicism has stunting and retarding effects on development. • Prevents public support, participation and ownership of programs. • Renders public enlightenment ineffective as audience comes to the arena with negative mind-set and perceptions. • Communication has to unlock the mind-sets and replace such with new ideas, positive attitude and behaviors necessary for progress.

22. PARTNERSHIP FOR NATIONAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY • Ministry of Information and National Orientation Agency to take the lead in coordinating communication plans. • Partnership with Professional Communication Sectors – PR, Development Communication experts(consultants, Academia), Advertising, Nollywood, Electronic, Print and Online media to design and implement Annual National communication Strategy to checkmate cynicism, build optimism and enhance development as well as nation-building.

23. FOCUS • RAISING AWARENESS, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING, CHANGING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS TO ACHIEVE NATIONAL OBJECTIVES. • MAJOR FOCUS IS: • BUILDING AND ACCUMMULATING CREDIBILITY AND INTEGRITY CAPITAL THROUGH INTERNAL COMMUNICATION • THESE ARE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASSETS • THESE ATTRACT PUBLIC TRUST, PARTICIPATION, SUPPORT AND OWNERSHIP IN DEVELOPMENT AND NATION-BUILDING

24. NEW APPROACH TO COMMUNICATION • Strategic Communication • Planned NOTAdhoc • It is client-focused and not organization-centered. • It is more concerned with the Take-Away Message by the receiver rather than the message emanating from the sender • Interest-based messaging (WIIFM).

25. CREDIBILITY AND TRUST • Align interest-based communication with citizens-centered governance(Sanjay Pradhan.2014)) or people-centered–development for successful nation-building. • Employ Internal Communication to build openness, transparency, credibility and trust in Leadership, institutions and governance for organizational and political will. • Focus on communicating performance results. A cynical populace can be more convinced by performance and results as “seeing is believing.” • Nation-Building is a two-way Affair - the positive and active participation of leadership and citizens in governance and service delivery(Sanjay Pradhan.2014)

26. POLICY • Communication must be mainstream in all Government policies, programs and projects from inception to completion like all World Bank projects. • Develop and implement Communication strategies, action plans and timelines for all government policies and projects based on perception assessments, surveys and studies.(I note an aspect of FRCNs Communications strategy: To serve as lead agency in checking cynicism, skepticism and self doubt among Nigerians). • Establish Monitoring and Evaluation systems for Government communication to assess implementation of the strategy. • Can Partner with donor agencies and other development organizations such as the World Bank, UNICEF etc. for capacity building in Strategic Communication, Development or operational communication. • FMI and NAO need to set up a Development Communication Units with experts specifically charged with communicating policies, programs and projects…to be supplemented by private PR and Communication consultants.

27. IT IS POSSIBLE • Possible to erase the pervasive cynicism blocking public support for development efforts • FMI and NOA to conduct Perception studies and audience surveys • Design and implement a National Communication strategy, based on the perception studies, surveys and research in collaboration with stakeholders in the media and communication industry. • Synergy between Service delivery and Communication (Internal and external communication) • Note that the solution is not just talking about cynicism but also taking actions on the motivational factors and barriers blocking attitudinal and behavioral change. • Note that Nation-Building is about change and reforms involving people and institutions. These need concerted effort and patience • A Chinese proverb says, “It is easier to reshape a mountain or change the course of a river than a persons character.”

28. QUOTE FOR REFORMERS “And it should be realized that taking the initiative in introducing a new form of government is very difficult and dangerous, and unlikely tosucceed. The reason is that all those who profit from the old order will be opposed to the innovator, whereas all those who might benefit from the new order are, at best, tepid supporters of him. This lukewarmness arises partly …from the skeptical temper of men, who do not really believe in new things unless they have been seen to work well. The result is that whenever those who are opposed to change have the chance to attack the innovator, they do it with much vigor, whereas his supporters act only half-heartedly; so that the innovator and his supporters find themselves in great danger.” Machiavelli on Public Will in The Prince, 1988, p. 20/21