The swift and efficient manner in which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s media handlers managed and updated his social media pages during his November 17, 2024, visit to Nigeria has continued to attract commendations from some social media users, even hours after he departed for G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Many praised Modi’s media team while criticizing the media handlers of the host president, Bola Tinubu, for inefficiency and delays. Some even called for the expansion of Tinubu’s media team to improve its performance.
Ironically, some of those lauding Modi’s media team were the same people who criticized Tinubu when he recently expanded his media team by appointing Daniel Bwala, a lawyer, as his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications for the State House on November 14, 2024 (now a Special Adviser on Policy Communication).
Tinubu’s loyalists, however, defended the Nigerian president, describing Modi’s media team as a “production crew” large enough to handle every media demand and emergency.
According to them, Nigeria cannot afford to allocate the same level of resources to its media team as India does.
Lessons from Modi’s Media Team
Beyond the criticisms and counter-criticisms, there is much to learn from Modi’s media team. Whether it functions as a large production crew or operates with the efficiency of Tinubu’s 13-person team, the world has moved beyond traditional practices of taking photos, editing them in studios, and uploading them hours later.
During meetings between the two leaders, everyone could see one of Modi’s team consistently taking notes, while some members of Tinubu’s team appeared to rely on their memory, engaging in what some people term “brain-jotting.”
Contrary to claims by Tinubu’s critics that “one person can handle three roles and still have spare time,” every member of the Nigerian president’s media team has specific strengths and weaknesses that justify their inclusion. For example:
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, and Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, were accomplished editors in print journalism.
Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Public Communication and Orientation (now the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications), has a stellar background as a broadcast journalist.
Daniel Bwala, recently is renowned for his oratory skills and public speaking. Other key figures, like Abdulaziz Abdulaziz (Senior Special Assistant on Print Media), O’tega Ogra (Senior Special Assistant on Digital/New Media), and Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe (Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communications), all bring unique expertise to the team.
None of these appointments are redundant. Instead, critics should focus on advocating for greater efficiency within the president’s media team.
Streamlining for Efficiency
The bureaucracy within Tinubu’s media team needs urgent review. Those managing the president’s social media handles must be well-versed in social media dynamics to ensure live updates of the president’s engagements with world leaders and participation in major events.
Everybody’s roles should be clearly spelt out with key responsibilities to avoid conflict and supremacy over who is the spokesperson for the Nigerian president.
It is overly simplistic to assume that the efficiency of Modi’s media team is purely a function of its size. What stands out is the trust placed in his team to manage his social media platforms without excessive bureaucratic delays.
In contrast, Tinubu’s media management process appears to require tweets and updates to pass through multiple layers of approval, causing significant delays.
Tinubu’s media team needs to be more coordinated.
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