Gov. Sule Extols Prof. Dandaura's Legacy of Mentorship
Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule has commended Vice President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura for his dedicated service in mentoring young people and assisting them to discover their strength for personal growth and nation-building.
Gov. Sule, a Fellow of NIPR stated this on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in Keffi at the 59th inaugural lecture of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi delivered by Prof. Dandaura a professor of Strategic and Development Communication.
Describing Prof. Dandaura as a committed lecturer, the governor said the state is proud of his long service, spanning nearly four decades as lecturer in various academic institutions within and outside Nigeria where he has groomed and raised professionals who are succeeding in their fields of endeavour.
"You're a fine breed of intellectual, a cultural ambassador, a builder of young people and I'm so happy today that we have so many young people in our midst who have come to give testimony of how you have influenced them. You are progressive-minded and you have consistently demonstrated that", the governor stated.
While applauding the varsity don's roles in siting the University of Public Relations and Leadership (UPRL) in the state, Gov. Sule said the project which is the first university in the world combining public relations and leadership will position the resource-rich state as a hub for training ethical leaders who will drive societal transformation.
President of NIPR, Dr. Ike Neliaku extolled Prof. Dandaura's contributions in the development of public relations profession in the country, thanking him for his "unparalleled initiatives" which have helped in giving the profession a new relevance.
The NIPR boss stressed that topic of the inaugural lecture, "When Applause Lies: Communication, Power and the War Between Reputation and Perception in Nigeria" is very important to every individual, organisation and nations
"To politicians who are here today, many times applause lies. You may think that the people are with you but they are not. After eating your rice, collecting your salt, collecting your sugar and margarine, whatever happens thereafter, you are on your own", he stated.
Prof. Dandaura while delivering the lecture argued that despite the multiplicity of communication channels, trust gap has not been bridged, instead widening further, a situation he described as paradox.
He wondered why a system that communicates so extensively struggle persistently to be believed, stressing that communication has prioritised perception over performance, which results in visibility being mistaken as credibility. "An approval does not necessarily translate into trust", he stated.
Bringing it to the Nigerian context, Prof. Dandaura said the country's communication challenge is not that of insufficiency but of imbalance, specifically arising from the widening gap between perception and reputation.
He insisted that visibility does not necessarily produce trust, rather only sustained performance can generate enduring credibility.
He called on Institutions to relearn the discipline of listening and learn when the people are with them. "Accountability must be our strongest form of communication. We should know that if you are heading an institution, you are holding that in trust, there are stakeholders, you must account to them. That is what communication should do. In accounting, it should be a true reflection of what you have done", he stated.
Prof. Dandaura urged academics to move away from being armchair critics, join the system and effect the change they desire in communication and governance.
"We must stop manufacturing applause to power and speak truth to power. Our nations and institutions are decaying because truth has been left to the mercy of power", he lamented.
