By Remi Johnson
Professor Emmanuel Dandaura, a professor of Strategic and Development Communication at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, has stressed the need for Nigeria leaders at all levels to focus on performance, rather than hiring crowds for fake image making.
Prof. Dandaura who stated this during the university’s 59th inaugural lecture in Keffi, Nasarawa State, challenged leaders to focus on measurable results that truly impact citizens.
The University Don emphassed the need for a shift from promise-driven narratives to evidence-based communication.
“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,” he said.
Delivering a lecture titled ‘When Applause Lies: Communication, Power and the War Between Reputation and Perception in Nigeria’, Dandaura argued that many leaders have become overly dependent on media optics and staged public approval, often at the expense of real development.
He warned that orchestrated applause can be dangerously misleading, while evidence – based performance leaves legacy for unborn generations.
“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,” Dandaura noted.
The communication scholar further condemned the practice of mobilising crowds and investing public resources into image-polishing, insisting that playing to the gallery cannot help Nigeria.
“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. Leaders must focus on performance, not theatrics or perception,”
He expressed concern that such practices not only distort reality but also erode public trust, emphasising that communication must be rooted in actual results rather than projections or propaganda.
According to him, the disconnect between perception and reality continues to undermine governance and development efforts in the country.
In his remarks, the Special Guest of Honour, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, commended Dandaura for his intellectual contributions and dedication to the growth of the state, particularly in advancing communication and leadership studies.
He also acknowledged the professor’s role in facilitating the establishment of the NIPR University of Public Relations and Leadership in Nasarawa State.
Governor Sule reinforced the central message of the lecture, stating that leadership must be people-centered and result-oriented. “Any service that does not impact the people is not service. True leadership is about thinking beyond expectations and delivering meaningful impact,” he added.