Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura, Director of the Institute of Strategic and Development Communication at Nasarawa State University
Professor Emmanuel Dandaura, Director of the Institute of Strategic and Development Communication at Nasarawa State University, says Nigeria’s leadership culture reflects longstanding social attitudes that shape how citizens learn, vote, and engage with governance.
Speaking in Abuja, he said leadership selection continues to mirror norms such as seniority, ethnic balancing and patronage, often at the expense of merit. He argued that stronger civic education is crucial if the country is to change how leaders emerge. “If society is not educated to understand leadership as responsibility, not entitlement, the same patterns will repeat,” he said.
Prof Dandaura linked entertainment-driven campaigns to traditional praise culture, but warned they now distract voters from serious issues. Weak media literacy, he added, leaves citizens vulnerable to political theatrics.
He said sycophancy reinforces elite dominance by rewarding praise-singers and sidelining critics, further excluding the public from decision-making.
The scholar stressed that civic enlightenment must go beyond voter mobilisation, calling for continuous instruction in schools, communities and the media. While acknowledging the appeal of entertainment in youth engagement, he insisted that education must remain the foundation.
He welcomed recent NIPR initiatives on values-based learning, saying that education enables citizens to demand accountability.
Leave feedback about this