By Olakunle Yusuf
From the tradition of constrained public management has emerged a deterioration in their relationship between citizens, their governments, and their public leaders. Nigerians trust in government is in decline.
Public trust in government and its leaders is crucial for a functioning society, particularly in democratic systems. It reflects citizens’ confidence in institutions’ ability to deliver on promises, act with integrity, and serve the public good. When trust is high, citizens are more likely to comply with laws, participate in civic life, and support government initiatives. Conversely, declining trust can lead to social instability and hinder effective governance.
Trust is essential for governance, and it is therefore necessary for governments, at all levels, to build it among the public. Failure in doing this could mean different things to the populace.
Many political economists see effective states as those stemming from ‘top-down’ directives by governments. Investments into state capacity by incumbents, such as establishing an effective bureaucracy, increase the range of policies a government can implement successfully. Citizen compliance with policies is either assumed or, alternatively, achieved via coercion by law enforcement.
Another approach to state building stresses the role of individuals. Here, citizens and the government work in a mutually reinforcing, reciprocal relationship (Besley, 2021). ‘Bottom-up’ private action can similarly enhance state effectiveness. This approach deficient in many ways. Unfortunately, this is Nigerian experience over the years.
If government is perceived to be trustworthy, people will be more likely to comply with public policies via consent. Public trust in government and the state is therefore crucial for increasing voluntary compliance.
Governments can achieve more if they know that citizens trust that policy-makers have their best interests at heart. And while it is easy to see how public trust can be eroded, (re)building trust is pivotal and can be challenging.
Increasing citizens’ inclusion is one of the crucial steps that a government can take toward recovering public trust. This means addressing the extent to which citizens can choose their political leaders, exercise their human rights, and understand their leaders’ decision-making processes. Increasing inclusion in these ways increases trust in the government and helps society by boosting participation in political activities. Improving the quality of public and civil services, maintaining commitment to stated policies, and the absence of political instability are all major facets of improving public trust. To regain public trust, governments must take a holistic approach to policymaking to reduce social and labour market inequalities rather than focusing on policies that deliver short-term political benefits.
Rebuilding political trust is a long-term project that must be addressed on multiple levels from the top of the political ladder to the local community level. This writer has identified four main behaviours for governments aiming at restoring trust: they must be reliable, responsive, transparent, and inclusive, and they should work with integrity. These goals are not achievable by the government alone and require some degree of communal participation to repair the damage done by the previous distrust.
Studies show that countries that rank high in public trust also rank high in economic equality. This correlation between trust and equality is evident in organizations, and trust in organizations also reflects on society since each person is a part of some organization. The benefits of improved equality and diversity are numerous; when people trust others, they tend to have a more optimistic view of their society and are more active in politics and civic organizations. Trusting people are also more tolerant towards minorities and people of different backgrounds; they also tend to be more charitable. This pattern reflects at the societal level, and societies with more trusting people tend to have better working conditions.
When the government fails to live up to standards such as transparency, accountability, competency, reliability and upholding the rule of law, philanthropists, business leaders, and NGOs find ways to circumvent the problems. They establish their own analogous service delivery system – NGO programmes, private schools, health centres, and so on. But these schemes are dependent on external contributions and rarely reach their full potential due to lack of funds or improper strategic planning.
Regaining public trust requires a strong commitment to integrity by the government, coordination, innovation, shared responsibility, and accountability, as well as ethical leadership at all levels. If the above requirements are met, there will be a significant increase in the people’s trust in political and business leadership. This will, in turn, lead to a society where there is prosperity, a reduced crime rate, increased participation in public programs, and a willingness to sacrifice personal interests for the greater good. In all, increased trust in the political and business leaders will lead to a society that is more open, inclusive, reliable, and fair to all.
Lack of trust in government can lead to decreased political participation, weakened social cohesion, and hindered ability to address societal challenges. This can manifest as reduced voter turnout, lower engagement in public consultations, and even challenges in implementing government programs due to lack of public support. Furthermore, a lack of trust can breed corruption, create instability, and negatively impact economic growth and public services.
If a system of “horizontal accountability” to control corruption is going to be effective, its agencies— including the courts, the prosecutors, the central bank, and hopefully an ombudsman to receive citizen complaints—must be fully independent of government control. That requires independent means of appointing, promoting, disciplining, and sustaining them in office. It requires assured and independent funding for their institutions, as well as rigorous professional training and ethos, and engagement with civil society.
At the same time, bribery and corruption cannot be rooted out of public life unless public officials are able to live decently on their salaries. Official salaries, from the low-level customs clerk and police officer on the beat to the cabinet minister, may need to be upgraded, and that may only be possible if the overall size of the state is trimmed. Better to have a leaner state that delivers than a bloated state that preys on the public.
This returns us to the vicious cycle of bad governance. When corruption is endemic, people routinely evade taxes because they know they get nothing in return. Government pretends to govern and the people pretend to respect it. Once government starts performing—delivering roads, electricity, water, schools, clinics, and public safety—in a transparent and accountable way, the cycle of distrust can be broken. Then, citizens will pay taxes and user fees because they see that they are getting something for their money. People will vote in elections, engage their representatives, and express themselves at public hearings because they believe these democratic processes will be fair and consequential.
With greater trust and transparency, people will join with one another to improve their communities, and entrepreneurs will invest capital to create jobs and new wealth.
This positive cycle is the best path—and for many countries, the only path—to sustainable and just development. Badly governed/ low-trust societies must forge coalitions to improve the quality of governance, and we in media and public relations must join hands in rebuilding trust. This, crucial to 2027 elections.
Olakunle Yusuf, Lead Consultant, Above Media. He can be reached via 08023423396.