The former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has urged business leaders and public institutions to prioritise the deliberate building of public trust as a safeguard against reputational damage and operational crises.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday during a Guest Lecture Series at the University of Abuja (now Yakubu Gowon University), Mohammed warned that organisations that fail to invest in credibility before crises occur often find themselves overwhelmed when pressure mounts.
Delivering a lecture titled ‘Crisis, Communication and Commerce: What Business Leaders Can Learn From Government,’ the ex-minister framed communication as a central pillar of leadership rather than a supporting function, stressing that reputational stability depends on how consistently trust is cultivated over time.
According to a statement signed by the Head of Strategic Communications of his Media Office, Nnamdi Atupulazi, Mohammed said, “In both government and business, communication is not the support act. It is the strategy itself”, adding that organisations that treat communication as a mere publicity tool risk avoidable damage when crises emerge.
Drawing on his experience during major national challenges under the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari, including insurgency in the North-East, the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, and widespread misinformation, he argued that effective crisis response begins long before any emergency.
According to him, trust cannot be manufactured in the middle of a crisis.
“Trust is not a communication tool. It is the infrastructure upon which all communication rests,” the ex-minister said, noting that early engagement with journalists, labour groups, and local language media helped strengthen public messaging during his time in government.
He outlined six principles he said institutions must adopt to avoid reputational damage: building trust early, prioritising action over claims, recognising the importance of credible messengers, monitoring developments in real time, actively countering misinformation, and clearly explaining the reasoning behind decisions.
Mohammed also pointed to initiatives such as media tours of liberated communities in areas previously affected by Boko Haram insurgency as evidence that verification often carries more influence than official statements alone. “When your narrative is under attack, proof is more powerful than position,” he noted.
Reflecting on the COVID-19 period, he emphasised the need for flexible communication systems that incorporate multiple languages, community leadership structures, and rapid feedback loops to address misinformation and encourage compliance.
He also warned that misinformation has evolved into a serious risk factor for both governments and private organisations, particularly in the digital age.
“Misinformation is no longer merely a political problem. It is now a business risk,” the ex-minister noted.
On contentious policy decisions such as Nigeria’s suspension of Twitter (now X), he argued that public understanding depends on sustained explanation rather than silence.
“Hard decisions require more explanation, not less,” he said.
He concluded by reiterating that institutions that proactively build trust are better positioned to withstand crises without lasting reputational harm, while those that delay communication until emergencies arise often pay a heavier price.
Mohammed is a politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Information and Culture from 2015 to 2023 under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
He previously held roles in opposition politics, including serving as the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress.
