Minister of Works David Umahi has announced plans by the Federal Government to mobilise 4,000 social media influencers to publicise infrastructure projects under President Bola Tinubu’s administration ahead of the 2027 general election.

Umahi disclosed the plan on September 22 in Abuja while receiving a report from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) following its inspection of federal road projects in Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states.

“We have to fight this social media war. So, we have to launch 4,000 social media influencers to tell our stories,” the minister said.

According to reports by TheCable and Pulse Nigeria, Umahi said the proposed initiative would help the government communicate its projects and achievements directly to Nigerians, particularly young people who increasingly rely on social media for information.

The minister also expressed confidence in the administration’s infrastructure record, saying the government had projects across the country that could be presented to voters.

His announcement comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election, with Tinubu expected to seek re-election.

However, details of the proposed initiative, including how the influencers would be selected, whether they would receive payment, the source of funding and when the programme would begin, were not specified in the reports reviewed.

The announcement has also raised questions about the distinction between public communication about government projects and partisan political campaigning, particularly if public resources are used to fund the initiative.

The report did not establish that Umahi was personally financing the proposed influencer network. Rather, he described it as a plan to mobilise influencers to communicate the Federal Government’s infrastructure achievements.

The National Association of Nigerian Students had presented its report after inspecting federal road projects in four northern states. Umahi commended the students for assessing projects and said the government would consider some of their recommendations, including pedestrian bridges around university campuses.

The proposed influencer network would give the administration another channel for publicising its infrastructure programme as the country approaches the 2027 election.