The Danger of Silence

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Ministry of Information, National Orientation Agency, and bodies saddled with the responsibility of communicating to Nigerians have not lived up to expectation.

No society thrives without proper and repetitive communication of the will of the government to the citizens. I give the persons in government the benefit of the doubt that they mean well.

Despite being educated, there are many things literate people do not understand about governance. It does selfless leaders no good letting people live in ignorance. 

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala tried their best through town hall meetings and other fora to communicate with Nigerians the humongous cost of governance, how to reduce it, amongst other things. They also harped repeatedly on the need for subsidy payments to be discontinued due to the inability of the government to objectively evaluate that the right amounts and the right persons are being paid. They explained that the subsidy can be used for infrastructural developments. The powers that be then frustrated their efforts. They were accused of being talkative. Have they not been justified now?

Subsidy removal is just one of the many issues Nigerians do not understand. Having health insurance is another message that is not understood by more than 75% of people. The government has not done enough on communication. 

Using health as an example, for every incompetent person who promotes unhealthy medicinal products in the market or motor parks, the government should directly or indirectly sponsor at least three institutions that will counter the wrong message and direct people accordingly. Isu atenumoro ko ki n jono (The yam of a person who says the same thing repeatedly does not get burnt while being boiled or fried).

Having health insurance is the cheapest way to pay for health services in any country. Most Nigerians still don’t understand this fact.

We are too silent on important issues and loquacious on irrelevant things.

The government should pay consistent attention to helping people to unlearn and relearn.

May Nigeria excel.


Ademola Orolu


About the Author

Ademola is a Consultant Family Physician and writer. He founded the online health magazine, The Family Doctors, and was its Editor-in-Chief from 2017 to 2020, when he wounded up the magazine to concentrate on his full-time medical practice, Nathaniel Health Consulting, Matogbun, Ogun State. 

He is an author of many books including storybooks. He regularly writes on health-promoting topics and encourages positive behavioural change in his articles.



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