The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dr. Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, has emphasised the need to embrace effective information management in Nigeria to build trust between government and citizens.
Arabi made this call on Wednesday at the September 2025 edition of the Lunch Time Reform Seminar organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR).
The event which took place in Abuja was themed “National Rebirth in Digital Era: Navigating the Information Conundrum – Challenges, Strategies and Best Practices for Effective Information Management in the Age of Social Media”.
“Effective information management goes beyond record-keeping, it is about ensuring that data and communications are accurate, timely, consistent, and accessible,” Arabi said, highlighting the importance of information management in building trust between government and citizens.
The BPSR DG stressed that the digital era presents both opportunities and challenges for information management which must be addressed for national rebirth.
“New media has become both a powerful tool for democratising information and a challenge to managing accuracy, integrity, and public trust,” he noted.
Arabi urged participants at the seminar to work together to harness the potential of the digital era as a tool for national transformation.
“Together, we can ensure that the digital era becomes a platform for national rebirth, not a source of division,” he said.
He suggested that Nigeria “leverages emerging technologies like artificial intelligence for content verification, blockchain for ensuring authenticity of information, and advanced data analytics for audience engagement.”
He also underscored the importance of reform and effective communication in the digital era. “What is important, like all the other speakers have said, is that, what reform are you bringing to bear?” highlighting the need for institutions to adapt to the changing media landscape.
Ndace noted that the media landscape has changed significantly, with social media platforms becoming primary news sources.
“If there is an event like this before now, you can be sure that you only wait for traditional media to disseminate it but now, it’s possible,” he said highlighting the challenges of managing information in the digital age.
Speaking further, he also emphasised the need for balance between speed and accuracy in real-time information flow. “The world can no longer wait; every institution must understand that the media landscape has changed. There’s a need for speed, but also for accuracy,” he stated.
Going by current events in the world, the DG stressed the importance of engaging Nigeria’s youthful population, who are active on social media.
“If you don’t create content for them, they will create content for themselves that they will consume. Institutions must understand how they should be able to appropriate the youthful population of Nigeria for public good,” he said.
The President of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, said there is every need for effective social media use in information management, communication management, strategic communication and effective communication.