Ibietan Calls For Rethink Of Communication Practice In Attention-Driven Era

By Olumide Johnson

At the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations recent induction ceremony in Abuja, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, communication scholar, public relations practitioner, and policy strategist with a strong footprint in both academia and professional practice, delivered a goodwill message urging newly admitted professionals to rethink the foundations of communication practice.

Dr. Ibietan, who currently serves as Secretary-General of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), where he is involved in shaping public relations standards and discourse across Africa, posited that communication is no longer “mere transfer of information,” but fundamentally the sharing of meaning shaped by attention, context, and human interaction. The remarks followed an orientation lecture by Barr. Ini Ememobong, former Commissioner for Information in Akwa Ibom State.

The intervention positioned communication within a changing ecosystem defined by attention scarcity and behavioural interpretation.

DECISION HIGHLIGHT

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations platform is being used to push a conceptual shift in communication practice, from information transmission to meaning construction within an attention-driven environment.

DECISION MEMO

Dr. Ibietan’s intervention reflects a broader recalibration of communication theory under contemporary conditions. The assertion that communication is no longer “mere transfer of information” directly challenges legacy models that treat communication as linear and transactional.

The reference to attention as a commodity is analytically significant. In an environment saturated with information, the limiting factor is no longer access but attention allocation. This shifts the role of communication professionals from disseminators of content to managers of perception, meaning, and engagement.

His rejection of earlier definitional frameworks, including those associated with Dance and Larson, signals a deliberate departure from classical communication theory. The critique is not entirely new, but its application within a professional induction context suggests an attempt to reshape practitioner mindset at entry level.

The emphasis on “shared intentionality,” drawn from scholars such as Michael Tomasello, introduces a cooperative dimension to communication. His reframing positions communication as a relational process grounded in mutual understanding rather than unilateral messaging. It aligns with contemporary models in behavioural science and strategic communication, where outcomes depend on alignment of intent rather than volume of messaging.

The assertion that “every behaviour… is a communicative action” extends the scope of communication beyond verbal expression to include silence, posture, and context. This has practical implications for public relations professionals, particularly in high-stakes environments where non-verbal cues and institutional behaviour influence perception as much as formal messaging.

However, the argument also exposes a gap between theory and practice. While the call for collaborative, human-centred communication is conceptually sound, the operational environment, particularly in political and corporate contexts, often incentivises control, persuasion, and narrative management rather than mutual understanding.

The warning that humanity will remain “in chaos” without reimagining communication underscores the normative ambition of the argument. Yet, it risks overstating the role of communication relative to structural factors such as power dynamics, economic conditions, and institutional trust deficits.

The intervention is therefore both corrective and aspirational. It updates the theoretical lens of communication but does not fully resolve the constraints of its real-world application.

DATA BOX

• Event, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations induction (Q1 2026)
• Location, Bolingo Xperia Hotel, Abuja
• Core theme, communication as meaning construction
• Conceptual shift, from information transfer to shared intentionality
• Key references, Martin Buber, Michael Tomasello, Paul Watzlawick

WHO WINS / WHO LOSES

Winners
Communication professionals adopting advanced, context-driven practice models
Institutions prioritising trust-based engagement over transactional messaging

Conditional winners
Public discourse, dependent on broader adoption of collaborative communication frameworks

Losers
Legacy communication models based on one-way information dissemination
Practitioners unable to adapt to attention-driven communication environments

POLICY SIGNALS

The intervention signals a gradual shift within professional bodies toward more sophisticated communication frameworks that incorporate behavioural science and relational dynamics.

INVESTOR SIGNAL

For investors in media, communications, and branding sectors, the shift toward meaning-driven engagement suggests increasing demand for strategic communication capabilities beyond content production.

RISK RADAR

Gap between theoretical frameworks and practical application in institutional settings
Overemphasis on communication as a solution to structural societal challenges
Resistance from legacy systems reliant on control-based messaging
Fragmentation of attention reducing effectiveness of communication strategies
Difficulty in measuring outcomes of meaning-based communication approaches

The intervention reframes communication as a relational system rather than a transmission process. The constraint lies in translating that reframing into practice within environments still driven by control and persuasion.