Accountability, Trust Critical To Nigeria’s Economic Stability — Idris

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has called for stronger accountability and transparent communication of government policies, warning that corruption, weak institutions and poor public understanding of reforms could undermine Nigeria’s economic stability. He spoke at the Economic Confidential Lecture on “Anti-Corruption Reforms, Economic Stability and Effective Communication,” in Abuja.

Idris said corruption weakens institutions, distorts public expenditure and erodes citizens’ confidence in government, making sustainable economic stability difficult to achieve. He stressed that the fight against corruption must go beyond arrests and prosecutions to strengthening systems capable of preventing abuse and ensuring that public resources are properly utilised.

According to him, the increasing digitisation of government processes, greater transparency in public financial management, improved procurement systems and the reduction of discretionary bottlenecks are critical to embedding accountability in governance. “The objective must be to build institutions in which accountability is embedded in the system rather than dependent solely on individuals,” he said.

The minister argued that effective anti-corruption measures must focus on preventing abuse before it occurs rather than relying solely on investigations and prosecutions after public resources have been lost. He said stronger institutions would help close loopholes through which public funds could be diverted or mismanaged.

He also linked the success of economic reforms to the quality of government communication, saying citizens were more likely to support difficult policies when they understood why they were necessary and how they were expected to improve their lives. He said Nigerians deserved clear, timely and credible explanations of government decisions, particularly when reforms imposed short-term difficulties.

Idris therefore charged government communicators with the responsibility of providing accurate information and confronting misinformation with facts. He rejected the characterisation of effective government communication as propaganda, insisting that credible communication must acknowledge challenges, explain policy choices and demonstrate progress with evidence.

“Communication must also be two-way: government must speak, but government must listen,” he said, stressing that public trust could not be manufactured through publicity but must be earned through transparency, accountability and demonstrable results.

The minister described the media as an indispensable partner in promoting accountability, noting that investigative journalism and responsible economic reporting strengthen oversight and enable citizens to make informed judgments about government performance.

He, however, urged the media and other stakeholders to resist misinformation, sensationalism and distortion of facts, particularly in the rapidly evolving digital environment.

According to him, accountability is a shared responsibility involving government institutions, anti-corruption agencies, the media and citizens.

“Government must strengthen institutions and communicate transparently; anti-corruption agencies must discharge their responsibilities professionally; the media must hold power accountable while remaining faithful to facts; and citizens must continue to demand integrity in public life,” he said.

Idris said the relationship between accountability, public confidence and economic stability was direct, arguing that reforms would be difficult to sustain without citizens’ trust. He maintained that transparent governance and credible communication were therefore as important to economic reform as the policies themselves.

“When we strengthen accountability, we strengthen confidence. When we strengthen confidence, we strengthen economic stability. And when we communicate effectively, we build the public trust required to sustain reform,” he said.

He commended Economic Confidential for convening the lecture and sustaining a platform for national dialogue on anti-corruption reforms, economic governance and effective communication, describing such conversations as essential to strengthening Nigeria’s institutions and building lasting public confidence in the reform process.