By Festus Fifen

Professor Emmanuel Dandaura, a professor of Strategic and Development Communication at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, has urged leaders across all sectors to prioritise communicating their performance rather than relying on public perception and applause which are mostly not the true picture of reality.

Prof. Dandaura of the Department of Theatre and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts, stated this on Wednesday while delivering the Nasarawa State University’s 59th inaugural lecture which took place in keffi, North-Central Nigeria.

The lecture titled ‘When Applause Lies: Communication, Power and the War Between Reputation and Perception in Nigeria’ aims at creating a balance between perception and reality.

According to the renowned Development Scholar, many leaders invest heavily in media and communication strategies to shape public perception rather than focusing on tangible performance.

In his words, “They make statements, hire crowds, and get people to clap for them even before achieving anything. At the end of the day, nothing is done. Yet, they continue to invest in the media and people who can applaud them. Playing to the gallery cannot help Nigeria. Leaders must focus on performance, not theatrics or perception,”

Prof. Dandaura expressed concern over the misuse of public funds to create artificial applause at public events, noting that such actions do not reflect the true feelings of the people.

“They assume the people are happy because of the applause, but that is not the case. The people can see through it and know when there is no real performance. In the end, those who clap for you today may be the same people who criticise your failure tomorrow,”

He stressed that communication should reflect actual achievements rather than promises.

“We invest in communication to say what we are going to do instead of what we have done. Do not tell us what you will do; tell us what you have done. That is where communication should be positioned in Nigeria,”

The special Guest of Honour at the event Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule commended the inaugural lecturer, who doubles as the vice-president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, for his contributions to the education sector and Nasarawa State in particular.

The governor also praised Mr Dandaura for facilitating the siting of the NIPR University of Public Relations and Leadership in Nasarawa state.

Governor Sule emphasised that leadership is about service and that such service must have a direct impact on the people.

“Any service that does not impact the people is not service. True leadership is about thinking beyond expectations and delivering meaningful impact,” he added.