Expert Asks Professionals To Prioritise Trust Over Visibility

Communications strategist and chief executive officer of ISFAG Communications Limited, Israel Fagbemigun, has charged professionals to prioritise credibility, consistency and audience understanding over the pursuit of social media virality.

He said trust remains the foundation of lasting influence.

In a statement issued to journalists yesterday in Abuja, Fagbemigun said effective communication goes beyond publicity and requires shaping public understanding through truthful, relatable and evidence-based storytelling.

“You can be seen by millions and believed by none,” he said, warning that many individuals and organisations often mistake visibility for influence.

He explained that his passion for strategic communication began during his undergraduate years at Obafemi Awolowo University, where he studied Microbiology but became actively involved in student unionism and campus journalism.

According to him, his experiences in student advocacy exposed him to the power of communication to shape public perception and influence decision-making.

“I watched how the same set of facts could either move people to action or leave them indifferent, depending entirely on how they were communicated,” he said.

Fagbemigun stressed that understanding people must precede every communication effort, noting that trust is built by listening before speaking.

“You cannot communicate with a public you do not understand. Visibility is easy; anyone can be loud. Trust is earned, and it is earned by first listening,” he stated.

He said his communication approach is rooted in engaging directly with communities, understanding their realities and using authentic experiences to shape narratives that resonate with the public.

The communications expert identified three major stages that shaped his career: campus and broadcast journalism, serving as media aide to former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, and later advising committees in the National Assembly and the Nigeria Immigration Service on strategic communications.

According to him, journalism equipped him with the skills to understand how news is gathered and presented, while working within government gave him insight into policymaking and institutional communication.

He added that his advisory roles required a broader approach focused on sustaining public confidence over time rather than simply responding to daily events.

“The journalist asks, ‘What is the story?’ The strategic adviser asks, ‘What is the story, who needs to hear it, when, and to what end?’” he said.

Fagbemigun also highlighted the importance of translating government policies into a language ordinary citizens can easily understand.

Using the Ministry of Interior’s passport reforms as an example, he said technical policy terms only become meaningful when connected to their practical benefits.

“The policy language would say ‘contactless renewal system,’ but what matters to a Nigerian in London is that you no longer have to travel for hours, queue all day, or wait six months. You can apply from home and receive your passport within days,” he explained.

He said successful policy communication should combine accuracy, relatability and authentic testimony to earn public confidence.

Speaking on institutional communication during periods of reform or public scrutiny, Fagbemigun cautioned organisations against resorting to silence or propaganda.

“Silence signals guilt; spin signals dishonesty,” he said, adding that institutions should acknowledge challenges while allowing measurable results and citizens’ experiences to demonstrate progress.

He also emphasised the need for consistency in messaging, warning that contradictory communication erodes public trust.

Reflecting on his professional journey, Fagbemigun said he deliberately chose consistency over publicity, arguing that genuine influence is built over time rather than through fleeting headlines.

“Headlines fade in a day. Influence compounds over the years,” he said.

He criticised what he described as an increasing obsession with going viral, warning that many professionals sacrifice credibility for temporary online attention.

“The biggest mistake is confusing noise with influence. Going viral feels like impact, but attention is not the same as trust,” he said.

Offering advice to aspiring communication professionals, Fagbemigun recommended mastering the fundamentals of reporting and storytelling, engaging closely with communities, protecting one’s reputation, maintaining consistency and building strong professional relationships.

“Strategy without craft is just opinion,” he stated.

Summarising the principles that have guided his career, Fagbemigun urged professionals to understand their audiences before speaking, build every message on truth that can withstand scrutiny and remain consistent until trust is firmly established.

“Understand before you speak. Build on the truth you can defend. Be consistent until consistency becomes trust,” he said.

He added that these principles transcend the communications profession and provide a practical framework for success in any field because they are anchored on integrity, discipline and a genuine understanding of people.