By Daniel Obaje
The Africa Polling Institute (API) has called for stronger collaboration among policymakers, media practitioners and citizens to promote social cohesion and address challenges undermining national development.
The Executive Director of API, Prof. Bell Ihua, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a capacity-building workshop in Abuja.
The workshop had the theme “Equipping Policy Executives and Media Practitioners as Champions of Social Cohesion.”
Ihua stressed the need for collective efforts to strengthen national unity and foster inclusive development.
He said the programme was designed to strengthen the capacity of policymakers and media practitioners to understand and integrate social cohesion principles into governance and reporting.
He said the institute’s Social Cohesion Survey had identified policymakers and the media as critical stakeholders in shaping public narratives and fostering national unity.
According to him, many of Nigeria’s challenges including insecurity and poverty are symptoms of weak social cohesion.
“The essence of social cohesion is the willingness of citizens to cooperate in order to survive and prosper as a nation.
“We have to begin to look at concepts such as national identity, trust in government, trust among citizens, civic participation, patriotism and social justice.
“The challenges facing the country today show that we are not as socially cohesive as we ought to be,” he said.
Ihua advocated a better understanding approach to addressing national challenges, stressing that government, citizens and institutions all had important roles to play in strengthening social cohesion.
Also speaking, Dr Olusoji Adeniyi, member board of African polling Institute, urged policymakers to embrace evidence-based decision making.
Adeniyi said data generated through social cohesion surveys should be humanised and translated into policies that directly address the needs of citizens.
“We want policymakers to see this data not just as figures but as real experiences of Nigerians.
“Institutions should be able to tap into evidence-based data to make informed decisions and deliver better outcomes for citizens,” he said.
He also urged media practitioners to promote balanced reporting and avoid stereotypes that could deepen divisions within society.
Adeniyi equally noted that responsible journalism has a critical role to play in building trust and strengthening national cohesion.
The Managing Director of Scientia Innovation Hub, Dr Helen Emore, emphasised the need for greater citizen participation in policymaking, noting that Nigerians often possess valuable insights into the challenges affecting their communities.
“The average Nigerian has solutions and ideas that can contribute to solving national problems.
“What is important is for policymakers to listen, test those ideas and create stronger mechanisms for public engagement,” she said.
Emore said citizens were not sufficiently involved in governance processes and called for increased use of digital platforms and other channels to encourage meaningful interaction between government and the public.
A participant, Mrs Rita Onyali, Director of Planning and Strategy at the Federal Character Commission, said the workshop had deepened participants’ understanding of policy implementation and social inclusion.
Onyali said discussions at the workshop highlighted the need for institutions to rebuild public trust by ensuring policies translated into tangible benefits for citizens.
“We have learned that citizens must be carried along in governance and encouraged to contribute their ideas.
“People need to speak up and participate because inclusive governance is essential to national development.”
Another participant, Mr Andrew Oaikhena, Stakeholder Manager at BudgIT Foundation, said the workshop provided deeper insights into the factors undermining social inclusion and social cohesion in Nigeria.
Oaikhena identified poverty, poor education and gender inequality as some of the major challenges affecting social inclusion across the country.
“What we learned is that there are several challenges affecting social inclusion, including poverty, poor education and gender inequality.
“This workshop has helped us to better understand these issues and we hope to replicate some of the lessons and ideas shared here in our work and communities going forward.”(NAN)
Edited by Funmilayo Adeyemi
