There is a curious contradiction in Abba Anwar’s article, “Kebbi: The Performing State Nobody Sees” It begins by acknowledging Governor Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, as a performing governor, proceeds to accuse his media aides of failing to communicate his achievements, and concludes that Kebbi’s development story is buried beneath a national media blackout. Yet, in attempting to establish this supposed invisibility, the writer catalogues several of the administration’s achievements, raising an obvious question: how did he obtain this information if the state’s communication machinery is as ineffective as he suggests?
The article presents itself as a media audit, but its sweeping conclusions are unsupported by the research methodology and verifiable evidence necessary to sustain them It invokes statistics, unnamed studies and an alleged 12-month media audit to portray Kebbi as almost invisible in national discourse, without providing sufficient information for readers to independently verify its findings.
Anwar claims that Kebbi ranks 31st among Nigeria’s states and the Federal Capital Territory in media visibility, with a national Share of Voice below 09 per cent. He further asserts that six out of every 1,000 stories about state governments concern Kebbi, while 42 per cent of mentions relate to insecurity and only five per cent concern agriculture.
These are specific statistical claims that demand credible evidence Which organisations conducted the research? What media platforms were monitored? What was the sample size and measurement period? How were the figures calculated, and what criteria determined whether a story was classified as prominent, secondary or insignificant?
Without answers to these questions, the figures cannot reasonably be treated as established facts A statistic does not become credible merely because it is expressed in percentages. If the writer conducted a genuine media audit, he should publish the methodology, sources, findings and limitations for public scrutiny. Otherwise, what he has presented is an opinion supported by figures whose reliability remains unverified.
The central issue, however, extends beyond statistics Anwar appears to have confused media prominence with governmental performance, national attention with public value, and publicity with development.
A governor does not become effective simply because his face dominates television screens, just as a state does not become prosperous because its government produces viral videos or secures prominent newspaper headlines The proper measures of governance include education, healthcare, infrastructure, agricultural productivity, employment, security, accountability and the responsible management of public resources. Media visibility can communicate these outcomes, but it cannot substitute for them.
Nevertheless, the importance of effective communication is fully recognised by the administration of Governor Nasir Idris This explains why the Governor’s media aides have consistently engaged journalists, editors, correspondents, broadcasters and digital publishers to ensure that government policies, projects and interventions receive appropriate public attention.
Contrary to Anwar’s portrayal, the Kebbi State media team has not remained confined to issuing press releases and taking protocol photographs The team has continuously engaged major media organisations to showcase the milestones and achievements of Governor Nasir Idris across all sectors of the state’s development. This sustained engagement is a deliberate responsibility that the team remains committed to pursuing, ensuring that Kebbi’s development initiatives, government policies and interventions receive wider coverage and reach audiences beyond the state. It is an ongoing assignment, not a one-off exercise, and the team will continue to strengthen its efforts to project Kebbi positively through credible and strategic media engagement.
As part of these efforts, we have visited major media organisations and engaged their editorial and management teams to strengthen Kebbi’s visibility at the national level These engagements have involved discussions on sustained coverage of the state’s development initiatives, improved access to credible information and stronger professional relationships with media organisations.
The efforts have also contributed to arrangements for sustained media coverage, including retainer engagements with , TVC, NTA and Third Eye Africa, approved by the Governor following recommendations from his media aides These initiatives demonstrate a deliberate attempt to expand the reach of Kebbi’s development story through established media platforms.
It is therefore misleading to portray the Governor’s media aides as professionals who have failed to understand contemporary communication practices The team recognises that modern government communication requires a combination of conventional journalism, digital distribution, multimedia storytelling, documentaries, feature articles, interviews, strategic media engagement and reliable public information.
The existence of further opportunities to improve visibility does not mean that nothing has been done Every state can strengthen its communication strategy, regardless of how much attention it currently receives.
Anwar’s argument that a handful of states control more than 60 per cent of national media attention also fails to establish that Kebbi’s position, assuming his figures are accurate, is principally attributable to the competence of its media team Population, commercial activity, political competition, the concentration of media organisations, advertising markets, entertainment industries and the frequency of nationally consequential events all influence media coverage.
Lagos benefits from its commercial and entertainment industries, while the Federal Capital Territory hosts federal institutions, diplomatic missions and national agency headquarters Kano has substantial demographic and commercial significance, while Rivers has a prominent petroleum economy. These factors generate news independently of the performance of individual governors’ media teams.
Anwar has identified a possible disparity in media attention but has not established its cause That distinction is fundamental to any credible assessment.
His argument about insecurity is similarly incomplete Even if security-related stories constitute a substantial proportion of coverage concerning Kebbi, that does not automatically demonstrate professional incompetence on the part of government media aides. News organisations exercise editorial independence and report events according to their news value and public significance. A government cannot reasonably expect journalists to suppress security-related reporting simply because it would prefer a different public narrative.
The relevant questions are whether the writer’s statistics are accurate, whether they distinguish between stories specifically about Kebbi and reports mentioning several states, and whether the actual prominence and context of the coverage were properly assessed Without that information, his conclusions remain questionable.
The same applies to his claim that Kebbi’s agricultural potential receives insufficient national attention The state’s rice production, fishing economy, irrigation potential and agricultural communities deserve sustained coverage. However, establishing an agricultural publicity deficit requires evidence of the activities undertaken, the coverage they received, comparable figures from other states and the reasons particular stories may not have attracted national publication.
The distinction between agricultural performance and agricultural publicity must not be ignored A state may achieve substantial agricultural output without every development becoming national news. Conversely, extensive publicity does not automatically translate into superior productivity. Both issues deserve attention, but neither should be used as a substitute for examining the other.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of Anwar’s article is his attempt to attribute Kebbi’s supposed national invisibility almost entirely to the Governor’s media aides without presenting an independent evaluation of their work Did he examine the team’s media engagements, publications, digital content, crisis communication, editorial placements and relationships with journalists? Did he interview editors, correspondents or communication professionals? Did he compare Kebbi’s media output with that of other states using consistent criteria?
The article provides no convincing evidence that such a comprehensive assessment was undertaken Instead, it moves from alleged differences in media attention to a sweeping verdict on professional competence. That is an accusation, not an adequately demonstrated conclusion.
The suggestion that Kebbi’s lack of permanent bureaus belonging to certain national television stations proves communication failure is equally questionable Media organisations determine their bureau locations according to editorial priorities, commercial considerations, operational requirements and logistical realities. Their decisions are not simply a referendum on the competence of a governor’s press office.
More importantly, Anwar’s portrayal overlooks the efforts already made by the Kebbi State Government to strengthen the presence and coverage of major media organisations in the state The media team has actively pursued these relationships because it recognises the importance of sustained national visibility. The progress made through these engagements, alongside the arrangements for continued coverage, deserves acknowledgment rather than dismissal.
The team’s efforts have also received commendation from Governor Nasir Idris and positive recognition from senior professionals in the information sector, including the Minister of Information, as well as media leaders Such recognition does not place the team beyond criticism, but it is relevant to any balanced assessment of its work.
Anwar also asserts that inadequate publicity could prevent Kebbi from attracting investment, suggesting that a state that is not seen or heard will not be funded or considered This is an oversimplification of how public finance and investment decisions operate.
Visibility can help investors discover opportunities, but investment decisions depend on credible economic prospects, infrastructure, security, access to markets, regulatory conditions, institutional capacity and expected returns No evidence is provided that Kebbi has lost a particular investment or funding opportunity because of the alleged media visibility deficit.
A compelling agricultural investment proposition requires reliable data, viable projects, infrastructure and practical engagement with investors Publicity can communicate these advantages, but it cannot replace them.
Similarly, the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival deserves sustained national and international promotion However, comparing its visibility with that of other cultural festivals without examining media coverage, tourism infrastructure, visitor numbers, sponsorship, accessibility and promotional strategies does not establish that Kebbi’s media team has failed. If improvements are necessary, they should be identified through evidence and addressed with practical proposals.
It is also important to distinguish between promoting government activities and ensuring public accountability A responsible communication strategy must make information accessible, explain policies, provide verified updates, respond to emergencies and enable citizens to understand public expenditure and project implementation. It should communicate achievements while remaining open to scrutiny over delays, challenges and shortcomings.
That is why Kebbi’s development story must be assessed through facts rather than assumptions about the number of times its Governor appears on national television The administration’s education programmes, healthcare interventions, road projects, workers’ welfare initiatives, agricultural investments and other development activities should be examined on their merits, with claims verified against available records and measurable outcomes.
Anwar’s own article acknowledges several of these initiatives, yet he uses the alleged lack of national visibility to condemn the professionals communicating them This is the central contradiction in his argument. If the information is available to him, it is reasonable to ask whether his assessment has adequately considered the channels through which it has been disseminated.
There is, of course, room for continuous improvement Kebbi can strengthen its public information systems, expand access to project data, maintain a comprehensive digital archive, improve emergency communication and deepen engagement with national and international media organisations. Such measures would advance both visibility and accountability. But identifying opportunities for improvement is different from alleging wholesale professional failure.
If Abba Anwar is seeking recognition, relevance or an appointment from any government, he should pursue such ambitions through professional merit, constructive engagement and evidence-based contributions, rather than resorting to what amounts to an attempt to blackmail a Governor’s media aides through sweeping allegations of incompetence No individual’s desire for recognition should become a justification for misrepresenting the work of public officials or presenting unverified statistics as authoritative findings. This observation is not a substitute for examining his arguments on their merits; rather, it underscores the need for professional criticism to remain evidence-based, fair and free from insinuations designed to discredit others.
The fact that Anwar writes from Kano does not invalidate his right to comment on Kebbi However, it is reasonable to expect anyone undertaking such an assessment to familiarise himself with the realities on the ground, engage relevant stakeholders and examine the state’s media environment comprehensively before reaching sweeping conclusions. A serious assessment should be informed by direct engagement and verifiable information, not assumptions about what is happening in another state.
Ultimately, Anwar’s article raises a legitimate question about how Kebbi can expand its national media presence, but it fails to establish that the Governor’s media aides are incompetent or that the state is invisible Its statistics require verification, its causal arguments remain unproven, and its conclusions are far broader than the evidence presented.
Kebbi’s development story belongs to its people, and communicating that story is a shared responsibility involving government media professionals, independent journalists, broadcasters, editors and digital publishers The media team has made deliberate efforts to strengthen these relationships, including visits to major media organisations and initiatives to secure sustained coverage of the state’s development activities. These engagements reflect a continuing commitment to ensuring that the achievements of Governor Nasir Idris across all sectors are documented, communicated and brought to the attention of the wider Nigerian public. The team will continue to pursue this responsibility with professionalism, determination and a clear understanding that effective public communication is essential to keeping citizens informed about government policies and development programmes.
There may always be more work to do, but it is unfair to transform the pursuit of greater visibility into an allegation of wholesale professional failure
Kebbi is not invisible Its development story is being communicated, its media engagement is evolving, and its publicity efforts deserve to be evaluated through verifiable evidence rather than sweeping generalisations.
The appropriate challenge to Abba Anwar is straightforward: publish the methodology behind the alleged media audit, substantiate the figures presented and undertake a comprehensive review of the state’s actual media coverage Until then, his conclusions should be treated as opinions requiring verification, not as an authoritative verdict on the performance of Kebbi State’s media team.
The ultimate test of Governor Nasir Idris’s administration remains the extent to which its policies and projects improve the lives of Kebbi’s people Public communication has an important role in making those efforts understood, but neither governance nor professional competence should be judged through unverified media rankings.
Kebbi deserves fair criticism, objective assessment and responsible public discourse—not a manufactured crisis of invisibility
Jombali is the Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment and Orientation to the Executive Governor of Kebbi State