By Oge Okonkwo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu listens to Nigerians and
considers their views when reviewing government policies, the Minister of
Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said.
Idris made the statement in Abuja on Tuesday when a
delegation from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, led by
its Director-General, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, visited the ministry.
He said the ministry’s responsibility goes beyond explaining
government decisions to the public. It also serves as a channel through which
citizens’ reactions, concerns and expectations are taken back to the
government.
The minister said this two-way communication was important
because policies could not be effectively implemented without understanding how
they affected people at the grassroots.
According to him, President Tinubu regularly seeks feedback
from Nigerians and is prepared to make changes where necessary.
“Whenever I sit with him, the first question he asks is:
‘What are Nigerians saying?’” Idris said.
He added that the President’s approach showed that
governance was not simply about announcing decisions and expecting citizens to
accept them.
Rather, he said, public response could help the government
understand where adjustments were required as policies were being implemented.
Idris said the renewed focus on national orientation had
also strengthened the government’s ability to understand public opinion across
the country.
He pointed to the National Orientation Agency’s network of
more than 800 offices nationwide as an important source of grassroots feedback.
Through its presence in communities, he said, the agency
could hear directly from farmers, artisans and other groups about the
challenges they face and what they expect from government.
The minister also pledged his ministry’s support for NIPSS
research into Nigeria’s creative economy, which is the subject of the
institute’s Senior Executive Course 48.
Omotayo earlier told the minister that the institute had
chosen the “Orange Economy” as the theme for this year’s course.
He said the study was examining the opportunities and
difficulties within the creative sector, particularly its ability to contribute
to Nigeria’s economic expansion and President Tinubu’s target of building a
trillion-dollar economy.
Participants in the programme have travelled to seven
Nigerian states and several countries to examine creative industries and
collect information for the research.
Omotayo said the creative economy covered about 48 areas and
could become an important source of jobs and wealth for the country.
He highlighted Nigeria’s music industry, where some artistes
have made billions of naira from digital platforms, as evidence of the sector’s
economic potential.
“We believe this particular sector can actually be one of
the major sectors of the economy that will solve the problem of real
unemployment,” he said.
NIPSS is also planning a National Summit and Exhibition on
the Orange Economy to bring government, businesses and other stakeholders
together.
Omotayo appealed to the ministry to work with the institute
on the event and help promote wider understanding of the creative economy.
He said the broader aim was to encourage Nigerians to see
the sector not simply as entertainment, but as a serious economic opportunity
capable of creating jobs and supporting national development.
Former Information, Culture and Tourism Minister, Lai
Mohammed, attended the meeting.
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