by Queen Nwabueze
Let us start with a truth bomb: PR is not magic. It is not damage control. And it is definitely not just about sending a press release and hoping Nigerians will forget.
But sadly, this is exactly what PR has become in many Nigerian boardrooms, a last-minute, slapdash, lipstick-on-a-pig operation whenever a scandal explodes.
The MD shouts, “Where is the PR girl? Issue a statement!” as if the nation is anxiously waiting for that Microsoft Word document to solve police brutality, fuel scarcity, a viral TikTok scandal, or employee abuse.
Let’s call it what it is: Nigeria has a crisis communication problem. And it’s not the PR man’s fault.
Honestly, too many Nigerian brands think crisis communication is simply:
1. Draft a 5-paragraph press release.
2. Call one journalist from Vanguard or Punch.
3. Post it on Facebook.
4. Lock comments.
5. Wait for Nigerians to move on.
Rinse. Repeat. Deny. Delete.
But crisis communication is not press distribution. It is a strategic function that involves:
• Scenario planning
• Stakeholder engagement
• Media handling
• Internal communication
• Long-term reputation rebuilding
It is not what you do after you mess up. It’s what you prepare for before anything hits the fan.
Let’s talk examples. Nigeria has given us premium-grade PR disasters:
• SARS and Brands’ Silence: During #EndSARS, many banks, telcos and FMCGs went mute. When they finally spoke, it was either tone-deaf, generic, or delayed. Some even posted “We stand with Nigeria” banners and thought that was enough. Wrong. Silence is a statement too.
• Celebrity Endorsement Scandals: A certain popular influencer was accused of fraud and shady dealings. The brand she represented? Quiet for days. When they finally issued a release, it had no stance, no direction, just vibes and confusion. Consumers dragged both influencer and brand to the gutter.
• Fuel Companies During Scarcity: Every December, fuel marketers release a tone-deaf message: “We regret the inconvenience caused by this unfortunate situation.” And Nigerians reply: Shut up and sell the fuel abeg.
Who Is Actually Handling PR in These Companies?
Here’s the silent crisis: Most Nigerian brands don’t even have a trained PR professional leading crisis comms.
What they have is:
• A brand manager who studied Biochemistry
• An HR lead writing staff memos doubling as external releases
• Or an agency doing copy-paste press templates from 2016
Result?
• Zero emotional intelligence
• Robotic language
• No accountability
• And definitely no empathy
Imagine using phrases like “We are looking into the matter” when a customer was physically assaulted in your store. Looking into what? A crystal ball?
Crisis Communication is Not Optics. It’s Strategy.
Crisis communication starts before the crisis.
It includes:
• Crisis Scenario Planning: What if a viral video shows your staff abusing a customer? What if your truck kills someone? What if your CEO says something chaotic at a conference?
• Rapid Response System: Who signs off? Who talks to media? Who handles social backlash?
• Training Spokespersons: Not everybody should face Arise TV. Especially not the one who says “Let us reiterate our resolute synergy of stakeholder synergy.” What does that even mean?
• Stakeholder Mapping: How do you reach regulators, community leaders, customers, staff and media at once in a crisis?
• Post-Crisis Reputation Rebuilding: Issuing a release is step 1. The real work is what happens after. Community outreach. Staff retraining. Real apologies. Compensation. Behavioural change.
Nigerians never forget. We just file it for future dragging.
What Needs to Change in Nigerian PR Culture
1. Hire Proper PR People: It’s not enough to have someone who says, “I can do PR.” You need people trained in stakeholder mapping, narrative control and crisis architecture.
2. Give PR a Seat at the Table: We are ready to shout ourselves hoarse with this one. Don’t involve comms only when things go bad. Let PR shape policy, employee conduct, partnerships and public perception.
3. Understand the Nigerian Psyche: Our people love honesty, swift action and human language. Speak like a person, not a press robot.
4. Don’t Delegate Reputation to Hope: You can’t hope a scandal goes away. You handle it with intelligence, empathy, speed and structure.
5. Train Your Team: Don’t wait for a viral mess before you train your spokespeople. Do it now. Media training, mock drills, scenario workshops.
Reputation is not what you say when you’re caught. It’s what you build when you think no one is watching.
And when the wahala eventually lands, no amount of hashtags, press releases, or billboard apologies will save you.
Only the truth, humility, accountability and real engagement can.
Do the work. Build the trust.
