General News
COVID-19: The imperative of Strategic Communications in Overcoming the Challenges of Coronavirus Pandemic in Nigeria
By Francis Nwosu
When the earliest Coronavirus (COVID-19) case was detected on November 17, 2019, in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China, little did the world know that it would be declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This was after Chinese authorities had tried to cover it up by muzzling the country’s scientific community that had warned of the virus’ deadliness.
In Nigeria, hearts were in mouths as the Federal Ministry of Health announced Nigeria’s index case on February 27, 2020. He was an Italian that flew in from Milan for a business meeting. Since then, the number of confirmed Nigerian infections has risen to 442 as of April 16. There have been 152 recoveries and 13 deaths.
Like some citizens and residents in the West, several Nigerians were also sceptical about the disease. They dismissed it as a hoax, but events have proved otherwise. Sadly, the initial scepticism has proved to be a massive drawback to government’s effort to combat the virus early.
Of course, pandemics have precedence in human history. There was the Flu pandemic of 1889 to 1890 that killed 1 million people; Spanish Flu (1918-1920), and Asian Flu (1957-1958) that had about 500 million cases with one-fifth of those killed. The H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic recorded 1.4 billion cases and killed between 151,700 and 575,400 people.
Ironically, the trajectory of such pandemics and epidemics, including Ebola is that they have a similar path in Nigeria. The first case was in Lagos, then Ogun and Ibadan before it spread to other Nigerian communities and states.
Nonetheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed our tardy response to emergencies. It has similarly exposed our grossly inadequate health, humanitarian, security, educational, labour, governance and fiscal arrangements. These gaps require that more proactive and urgent actions need to be taken to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
Apart from scaling up the medical intervention, strategic communications and reputation management experts are needed at this point in time to reassure citizens and get their backing for government efforts to defeat the disease.
People need to be well informed of the various measures to break the virus’ transmission cycle, including physical/social distancing, restriction of movement, and the necessity of maintaining thorough personal hygiene.
They need to be educated about why they need to comply with these directives, and understand the weightier benefit of staying at home instead of hopping about ‘for their daily livelihood.’
Strategic public relations actions leveraging community influencers and local dialects should be deployed by state and local governments for community engagement with the people at the grassroots.
Using relatable cultural communication at a time like this will foster people’s awareness of the pandemic and the systems authorities are putting in place to mitigate further spread.
Despite government efforts to curb COVID-19, as well as donations of cash, relief materials and volunteer service from well-meaning Nigerians and institutions, the challenges of stopping this disease are enormous.
Thus far, these efforts seem like a drop in the ocean. And this is not to discredit these interventions but, anecdotal evidence nationwide show negligence and partisanship in the distribution of relief materials. Trust gap is also widening.
So, the onus, now, is on government to swiftly onboard relevant professional bodies to drive strategic communications, behavioural change and strong advocacy to deepen the current response to COVID-19 in a more seamless and coordinated manner.
Engagement of PR consultants will go a long way to drive tactful messaging content that will appeal to targets and help to manage their expectations. Experts in marketing communication and information management, more than ever, need to be drawn in to help up the ante.
They should become the advisory ombudsman amongst various interest groups and institutions to strengthen collaborations that will accelerate the efforts to defeat Coronavirus.
With effective communication and enlightenment, the public will become more enlightened about COVID-19. All the nonsensical myths that the virus cannot survive in a hot region or is a conspiracy of the West to use 5G technology to destroy the world will stop.
The deployment of well-articulated and strategic communications will ensure effective risk mitigation communication, control of misinformation and eradication of ignorance. It will also reveal the antics of mischief peddlers masking as community voices in their circle of influence.
The importance of strategic communications notably PR, cannot be exhausted in just one breathe. The time is now to drive an articulate messaging on relief efforts by government agencies. It will additionally ensure that people are knowledgeable about all the issues about management of the challenges posed by the virus.
As the whole world strengthens commitments to end Coronavirus so it does not ruin humankind, Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind with tardy communication and poor planning.
Nwosu is an Associate Analyst, Content and Creative, with Chain Reactions Nigeria.
Union Bank of Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment through its alpher initiative by sponsoring the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Development Centre (WYEDC) Cohort 2 Programme, which has graduated 125 entrepreneurs who have benefited from firsthand entrepreneurship training and business grants.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria account for more than 50% of industrial employment and contribute approximately 48% to the country’s GDP.
This makes entrepreneurship one of the economy’s building blocks and is a testament to Union Bank’s unwavering dedication to national development in partnership with NBCC.
In her welcome speech, the Director General of NBCC, Dr. Ebere Njoku, reiterated NBCC’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, and youth empowerment, citing these as catalysts for economic development and sustainability.
She appreciated the sponsors, partners and facilitators who devoted their resources and time to upskilling the participants.
The entrepreneurship initiative stemmed from the visionary goal of Mr. Ray Atelly, President and Chairman of the Council, NBCC, FRPA, to provide entrepreneurship and grant opportunities to Nigerian women and youths.
Mr. Atelly told the graduates in his speech, “This is your chance, make sure you take it. Don’t let any obstacle stop you because there will be many; if you let it stop you, your dreams are not strong enough. You need to keep pushing, someday you will sit at the top of a conglomerate and people will aspire to be like you.”
Also in attendance was the NBCC’s Patron, Senator Akin Odunsi, FRPA, who congratulated the Cohort 2 graduates.
He said, “I encourage all of you not to take the training you have received for granted. Use it as a landmark opportunity to be a beacon of hope to others who look up to you.”
He also urged the Chamber to provide internship opportunities after the six-month entrepreneurship training in organisations for the incoming Cohort 3 and beyond.
He added that the internship experience will give trainees the unique chance to practice what they learned and, in return, benefit the organisations from their acquired skills.
The goodwill message at the graduation ceremony was delivered on behalf of Mrs. Yetunde Oni, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank of Nigeria, by Mrs. Vivian Imoh-Ita, the Bank’s Head of Retail and SME Business, who appreciated NBCC for the life-transforming training they are providing to the youth and women entrepreneurs.
She further stated, “As a Bank, we understand that when we invest in women and youth entrepreneurs, we are investing in the most powerful catalysts of economic transformation. Through the Bank’s alpher initiative, we have enabled success for women-led businesses. In a volatile economy like Nigeria, the challenges facing entrepreneurs are dynamic and significant. As a Bank, we intend to prove that these barriers are not unconquerable and are growth opportunities.”
Three entrepreneurs, namely Evelyn Ekene Ani of Evani.Ng (First place), Martha Padonu of Beyond Photography (Second place), and Therietta Vershima of La Teriz (Third place) were declared winners of the Union Bank Business Pitch competition held during the graduation ceremony and were rewarded with funding for their businesses.
The Bank’s sponsorship of the training demonstrates its commitment to fostering a vibrant, innovative, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for women and all individuals.
The trial of three employees of Wema Bank Plc and four others accused of orchestrating N8.9 billion cyber heist has been stalled due to the Eid-el-Kabir public holiday.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the bank staff—Samuel Asiegbu, Fabian Onyeimachi, and Kingsley Kejim—alongside four alleged accomplices: Hannah Okunlola Adesokan, Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Ubaku, and Sunday Osademe, before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos on May 25, 2025.
The seven defendants face an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cybercrime, and obtaining money under false pretences. They were accused of hacking into Wema Bank’s computer systems in January 2025 and unlawfully transferring N8,568,090,500 to various accounts.
According S.O. Larry Peters, counsel, EFCC, the defendants acted in concert with two other suspects—Nurudeen Ibrahim and Alhaji Sulaiman—who are currently at large. The syndicate allegedly manipulated the bank’s data using sophisticated digital tools to cause financial loss and confer illegal economic gains on themselves.
Peters further revealed that two of the defendants—Hannah Okunlola and Sunday Osademe—provided personal bank accounts for the illicit proceeds. Investigators traced N199 million to Okunlola’s UBA account registered under Search Light Media Concept, and N2.25 million to Osademe’s Union Bank account.
The offences, according to the charge sheet, violate Sections 6(2), 8, 14(1), 14(5), and 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as well as Sections 17(a)(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004.
All seven defendants pleaded not guilty. Following their plea, the court remanded five of the accused in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services, while Kingsley Kejim continued on existing bail terms.
The court granted a special request by defence counsel to remand Hannah Okunlola in EFCC custody due to medical concerns.
Justice Aneke had adjourned the matter to June 6, 2025, for commencement of trial. However, due to the nationwide Sallah holiday declared by the federal government, the proceedings could not go ahead as scheduled.
A charge reads: “That you, Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, and others now at large, in January 2025, conspired to alter Wema Bank data to cause the loss of N8.568 billion in order to benefit economically, thereby committing an offence under Section 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.”
The case has drawn significant attention as one of the most audacious cybercrime cases involving bank insiders in Nigeria’s recent history.
The 2025 Ojude Oba celebrations kicked off on Friday evening with “Evening with Glo,” a special event organized by Globacom and headlined by Juju music legend Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi and Fuji maestro Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1)
This year marks a significant milestone: Globacom’s 20th anniversary as sponsors of the Ojude Oba festival, an event it has helped transform into a globally recognized cultural spectacle.
The “Evening with Glo” was a vibrant mix of live music, delicious food, and captivating comedy from Gbenga Adeyinka, Bash, and Kiekie. The Conference Hall venue was packed as guests enjoyed more than two hours of Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi’s timeless hits, with the audience singing along and dancing.
Globacom organized the event as a gesture of appreciation to the Ijebu community for their unwavering support over the past two decades of the Ojude Oba festival. “We decided to bring together great sons and daughters of Ijebuland to celebrate our shared heritage, and indulge in the melodious rhythms that resonate deeply throughout Yorubaland,” the company stated.
The company explained their choice of musical icons, noting that the “ageless icon and Juju music maestro, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, has contributed decades of good, sonorous and philosophical songs to our society. His songs are still as fresh and full of inspirational messages as they were yesterday.”
Regarding KWAM 1, the company highlighted that “For decades, King of Fuji, K1 De Ultimate, the Fuji master, has been a great part of the music firmament in Nigeria, with his unique brand of Fuji that has elicited huge interest.”
The event saw a strong turnout of prominent Ijebu figures, including the Olori of Oba Awujale, Chief Mrs. Olukemi Adetona; the Coordinator of Ojude Oba Festival Planning Committee, Professor Fassy Yusuff; and a committee member and Iyalode of Ijebuland, Chief Mrs. Bisi Osibogun.
Beware!, Fraudsters Using our Name to Defraud Investors- NNPCL
FG Plans AgriConnect Initiative Pilot
Human Hacking: When Cyber Criminals Target You
Telcos Hit by Major Outages across Lagos, Enugu, Others
FIRS Launches Revised SOP to Streamline Tax Payment
E-Financial2 days agoCyber Crime: Hackers to Hold Secret Conference 3.0 July 25
General News2 days agoWema Bank Workers, Others Arraigned over Alleged N8.9Bn Cybercrime
Telecom2 days agoGaps on Phone Number Recycling Fuel Identity Theft, Data Breaches- ICIR
General News2 days agoMusic Stars, Comedians Light Up “Evening with Glo” in Ijebu Ode
E-Business2 days agoFG Enrolls 59,786 Inmates on NIN Platform
E-Financial2 days agoSEC Flags ‘Punisher Coin’ As High-Risk Scheme
Telecom24 hours agoTelcos Hit by Major Outages across Lagos, Enugu, Others
News24 hours agoBeware!, Fraudsters Using our Name to Defraud Investors- NNPCL