President Tinubu’s visit to Katsina: A missed opportunity wrapped in songs and handshakes
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Katsina should have been a pivotal moment—an opportunity for the state to draw national attention to its pressing challenges, developmental milestones, and future aspirations. Unfortunately, what should have been a strategic communication moment for the state turned into a viral distraction. From the streets of Katsina to the corners […]
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Katsina should have been a pivotal moment—an opportunity for the state to draw national attention to its pressing challenges, developmental milestones, and future aspirations. Unfortunately, what should have been a strategic communication moment for the state turned into a viral distraction.
From the streets of Katsina to the corners of social media, two things dominated the narrative: a campaign-style song from singer Rarara, and a casual handshake between the president and Aisha Humaira, Rarara’s wife. These moments, while lighthearted and culturally expressive, overshadowed the very essence of a presidential visit; governance, development, and accountability.
It raises a critical question: Was the state’s PR machinery asleep, or was the leadership not interested in framing the visit within a narrative that could catalyse national interest, policy focus, or even investment into Katsina?
In a time when states are competing for federal attention, donor support and private capital, optics matter is the time in Katsina when a sitting governor would be cheering a singer up and clapping, joyfully to impress the president. A presidential visit is not just a ceremonial tour; it is a platform. It’s the time to walk the president through pressing realities: insecurity in rural areas, the economic potential in agriculture, the struggles with education, the underfunded health sector, the resilience of the people, and the efforts already underway to tackle these issues.
- UTME: Parents express disappointment, concerns over low candidates’ performance
- Kano govt directs LGAs to release N670m for Emir Sanusi’s cars
Instead, the silence around these important issues was deafening.
No strategic documentaries. No impactful speeches. No high-level stakeholder engagements positioned in the media. No community interactions that could inspire federal interventions. Not even a strong visual presentation of the state’s development agenda.
Governance is not just about doing the work, it’s about telling the story. And in that regard, Katsina missed the moment.
This visit should have been used to showcase the hard work of the administration (if there is any to show), to call for more support where needed, and to galvanise public interest and empathy. But when all that trends from a presidential visit are a song and a handshake, it’s safe to say the moment was poorly managed, or worse, completely misunderstood.
Moving forward, states must take public relations seriously, not for propaganda, but for perception, engagement, and strategic positioning. Because if you don’t control the narrative, someone else will. And often, they will focus on the trivial and mundane parts, not the transformational.
Jamilu Abdussalam Hajaj resides in Katsina