Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, has said poor communication between government and citizens is contributing to the negative perception of Nigeria’s economy and democratic governance.
Barau made the remarks while responding to concerns raised by former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo over growing dissatisfaction with democracy, economic hardship and declining confidence in government.
Osinbajo had cited Afrobarometer findings showing that although 64 per cent of Africans preferred democracy to other forms of government, only 38 per cent were satisfied with the way democracy was working.
He also pointed to economic hardship, unemployment, inadequate healthcare and declining youth participation in elections as challenges capable of weakening public confidence in democratic governance.
However, Barau argued that the gloomy picture did not fully reflect the efforts being made by the President Bola Tinubu administration to address longstanding problems.
According to him, governments at both federal and state levels are implementing programmes in education, infrastructure and economic development, but Nigerians are not being adequately informed about them.
He said the government needed to strengthen its engagement with citizens so that people could better understand its policies, interventions and the challenges confronting the country.
Barau cited the Nigeria Education Loan Fund as one of the initiatives aimed at expanding access to education, particularly for young Nigerians who may otherwise struggle to finance their studies.
He also pointed to major road projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Badagry-Sokoto Highway, as evidence of ongoing efforts to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.
The Deputy Senate President further argued that the rising cost of living was not entirely peculiar to Nigeria, linking part of the pressure to international conflicts and disruptions in global supply chains.
He cited the Russia-Ukraine war, tensions in the Middle East and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz as factors contributing to higher energy and production costs globally.
Barau acknowledged that addressing Nigeria’s challenges would take time but maintained that the government was making progress.
He called on political leaders and public officials to improve communication with citizens, saying better public engagement was necessary to bridge the gap between government actions and public perception.
