In view of the growing reliance on social media for information gathering and dissemination for positive change despite It menace the National Orientation Agency (NOA) Jos, organized a three-day training program on social media strategies and execution for effective communication and crisis management for staff in the public sector.
The program is sponsored by The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in partnership with Tomruk IHOP multiverse and DAFUDA, to hold between the 8th to 10th of November at the National Institute for policy and strategic studies kuru, Jos, Plateau State.
The National Orientation Agency Director-General, Dr. Garba Abari in his welcome address at the opening ceremony, established that social media is an indispensable part of life that needs to be leveraged.
“Social media is a robust tool that can be used for social listening, resolving crisis situations, supporting people who need help, gathering and dissemination of information.
On its own Social media can achieve so much through social sharing and a robust number of citizens who can actively use social media platforms reach a large population.
Therefore at the end of this program we expect Participants will leave this training fully capacitated to use Social media as a communication channel to enhance the public sector in crisis management and help Nigerian citizens to be more aware of the various programs that are beneficial to them.”
The coordinator of the event Assistant to the DG National Orientation Agency (NOA), David Akoji stated that the NOA has a mandate as a government agency to sensitize and Orientate citizens to adopt positive behaviors, communicate government policies, programs, and activities to the public.
In our country today they are all kinds of challenges and crises, and we find out that people are leveraging on the instability threats that the Social Media platform has to create problems and escalate existing challenges
So we think that in the public sector staff should have the capacity to know how to do social listening, that is you know what the wider population is saying on Twitter, WhatsApp, and Facebook, and aggregates this opinion to know what public opinion really is about an issue and then you build response around it.
Therefore, we are building two types of capacity. Capacity of citizens to know how to fact-check and put out the truth. Secondly we are building the capacity for public office is to know how to manage information in the social media space, build and execute strategies so that the point of view of authority in respect to any issue and the facts surrounding those issues can be put out to the public for the public to know exactly what’s happening.
This is the reason why the DG NOA has set up this capacity building platform, and its not going to end here, its going to be continues until a wild spectrum of staff has be covered
Speaking at the event the representative of Tomruk IHUB multiverse, Job David Ayuba stated that social media tools themself are not good or bad but it’s the people handling them that are either responsible or irresponsible.
“Citizens distrust in government is becoming a global trend and to prevent disregard for the law and uphold patroitism it is important now more than ever for public institution to equip there skills with impactful tools and services for public engagement and crises communication.
So this training is ment to change the narative and eqiup public institution to better comunicate with citizens on good gorvernance and the policies of what there government is doing.”
Addressing journalists at the event CEO inspired to lead, Odeyemi Olayiwole who spoke at the event on ‘participation and managing negative commentary in leadership’ spoke on having leadership skills that will help individuals use social media for social good.
“Using emotional intelligence in the place of social media as a single click is like having the codes to the atomic bomb. An example is the use of salt during the ebola pandemic which escalated the death rate in Nigeria”
He added that due to the distrust in the public sector the training is targeted at the private sector and government for now.
“This is becase we want to build a bridge between the private and public sector. If pople in the private sector get how to handle information, i think it will build trust with the public”
At the end of this program expect a more skillful public sector in builing bridges with the citizens.”
Also speaking with the journalist at the event, the DG Plateau ICT Development Agency, Mr Daser David, spoke on ‘the latest social media trends update and best practices, stated that social media has come to stay and it was only best that companies and organizations begin to harness the abilities for good.
Mr David Daser who was represented by, Blogger and Social Media Expert, Matthew Tegha said “I am going to be talking about practices that can be used to help organizations, businesses, brands, and individuals.
Basically how to use social media as a tool to market your brands, such as knowing which platform best represent your organization, brand, or message you want to convey.
So it’s important to understand the properties of each social media platform and how to take advantage of it positively, to achieve organizational goals. He said.
The coordinator of the event David Akoji at the end of the program pointed out a few important points for participants to take back to their organizations from what the two resource persons had said, namely:
Build and maintain a social media community for your organization or brand choosing the right social media platform, Putting out relevant information, form an effective presence in the social media space.
Survey your audience to understand which platform they use so as to reach them with the need for attitudinal change
Dignitaries at the event are the National Institute of policy and strategic studies director-general represented by professor Funmi, Plateau state information communication technology development agency director-general, David Daser represented by Matthew Tegha, the Controller of Nigerian Immigration Service Jos, Commanda Operation Safe Heaven Gen. Micheal Ali represented by colonel W.O, representing Tomruk IHOP Multiverse Job David Ayuba, representing DAFUDA Harry King Ogbole.
Source: https://mathewtegha.com/2022/11/noa-trains-public-sector-staff-to-leverage-social-media/