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By Chinenye Anuforo
A Nigerian communication researcher, Gbemisola Simbiat Odejide, has raised concerns over a critical but often overlooked factor shaping public safety: whether people can actually understand and act on the information they receive.
Odejide, whose work centres on crisis communication and public response, argued that the effectiveness of public safety systems is being undermined by a persistent gap between information dissemination and real-life understanding.
“Public safety does not begin with the release of information,” she said. “It begins with whether people can make sense of that information in a way that guides their actions.”
Drawing from both research and lived observation, Odejide noted that many communication frameworks still operate on a flawed assumption that once a message is sent, the responsibility ends.
“That assumption is dangerous,” she said. “People are navigating work, family pressures, and daily stress. In those realities, information must be clear, direct, and immediately useful not abstract or overwhelming.”
She stressed that this disconnect becomes most evident during emergencies, when individuals are forced to make rapid decisions with limited time and clarity.
“What is often described as ‘access to information’ is incomplete,” Odejide explained. “True access includes understanding, clarity, and knowing exactly what steps to take next.”
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According to her, the challenge is even more pronounced in diverse societies, where language barriers, varying literacy levels, and unequal digital access complicate how messages are received and interpreted.
“Communication systems are still largely designed from the top down,” she said. “But people do not experience information in uniform ways. One message does not work for everyone.”
Odejide identified this structural weakness as a major vulnerability in public safety architecture, warning that poorly communicated information can delay response, increase confusion, and ultimately put lives at risk.
She, however, pointed to technology particularly artificial intelligence as a potential solution, if deployed with a focus on clarity and accessibility rather than volume.
“Technology should not add to the noise,” she said. “Its role should be to simplify, translate, and make information more actionable.”
Odejide noted that in everyday scenarios ranging from severe weather alerts to school closures and public health advisories, people are not looking for lengthy explanations, but for clear, immediate answers tailored to their situation.
“In a real-life moment, a parent is not analysing policy language,” she said. “They are asking: What does this mean for my child? Do I need to act now? Those are the questions communication must answer.”
She emphasised that the future of public safety depends not on how much information is shared, but on how effectively it is understood and applied.
“The goal is not more sophisticated systems,” Odejide added. “The goal is systems that respond to how people actually live.”
For Odejide, the issue is ultimately about impact. “If communication leaves people confused, then it has failed no matter how much information was provided,” she said. “Public safety demands communication that is usable, not just available.”
