Joseph Bakare
Special Adviser on Media to the Kogi State Governor, Ismaila Isah has said the state government is committed to building capacity of the government’s media team for effective public policy communication.
Hon. Isah stated this at a specialized training for members of the government house media team on innovation in public policy communication held at the Government House Media Centre in Lokoja.
He noted that the training is part of efforts to enhance public policy communication and foster transparency and accountability in governance in commemoration of the first anniversary of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo in office as the Governor of Kogi state.
He said the session which brought together members of the Government House Media Team and the media team from the Office of the First Lady, would help to improve strategic communication skills among members of the team.
He expressed appreciation to Governor Ododo for prioritizing capacity building by the media team and other officials of the present administration to enhance their capacity to deliver on key performance indicators set by the administration.
He noted that training session has fulfilled one of the mandate of his office to expose members of the team to global best practices in communication deliverables for the government.
He emphasized the desire of the administration of Governor Ododo to build trust and acceptance by investing in capacity building for the government’s media team and to enhance performance in public policy communication.
Speaking on the theme:
“Innovation in Public Policy Communication: Leveraging the Six Levers of Influence for Effective Public Policy Messaging”,
Prof. Adams Adeiza, an Associate Professor at Sunway University in Malaysia emphasized the critical role of media professionals in shaping public perception and ensuring that government policies and programmes are effectively communicated.
He commended the media team for their synergy, attributing it to the Ododo-led administration’s commitment to fostering collaboration and professionalism.
The facilitator further highlighted the power of emotional appeal in public messaging, explaining that people primarily make decisions based on emotions rather than logic.
Prof. Adeiza had earlier engaged senior civil servants at the Office of the Head of Service where discussions centered on strategies for revitalizing the state public service for efficiency.