Israel Fagbemigun: Trust Is New Competitive Advantage

In today’s digital economy, where brands, governments and executives compete relentlessly for attention, visibility has become easier to achieve than credibility. For Israel Fagbemigun, chief executive officer of ISFAG Communications Limited, that distinction is at the heart of effective communication. In this interview with Adedayo Adejobi, he shares the business principles that have shaped his career and explains why communication has become a strategic asset for institutions seeking lasting public confidence

Israel Fagbemigun did not set out to become a communications strategist. He entered Obafemi Awolowo University to study microbiology, but student union politics and campus journalism redirected his career.

“I watched how the same set of facts could either move people to action or leave them indifferent, depending entirely on how they were communicated,” he recalls.

Rather than following a structured career model, he followed instinct. “Microbiology was what I studied; communication was what I could not stop doing. When you find the thing, you would do whether or not anyone paid you for it, that is usually your calling asking for your attention.”

Today, as CEO of ISFAG Communications Limited, he believes communication has evolved beyond media visibility into a core business and governance function capable of shaping public confidence, institutional reputation and policy outcomes.

For Fagbemigun, one principle underpins effective communication: understanding people before speaking to them. “You cannot communicate to a public you do not understand. Visibility is easy; anyone can be loud. Trust is earned, and it is earned by first listening.”

His approach rejects desk-based assumptions in favour of direct engagement. “I get on the streets. I sit with people to understand their feelings, their frustrations, their realities, and then I gather their testimonies in their own words. Only then do I speak, because now I am not speaking at them; I am speaking for them.”

He advises young professionals to resist the temptation to prioritise visibility over understanding. “The communicators people trust are the ones who clearly understand the people they are speaking to.”

That philosophy has guided his transition from journalism into strategic advisory roles.

Reflecting on his career, he identifies three defining stages. The first was learning the fundamentals of journalism through campus reporting, Nigerian Cable News and broadcast work at Ondo TV.

“This is where I learned how information actually moves, how a story is built, how a newsroom makes decisions, and what makes an audience pay attention.”

The second stage came while serving as media aide to former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, where he moved from reporting decisions to participating in decision-making.

“I learned how power communicates, and just as importantly, how it should communicate but often fails to.”The third stage involved advising House Committees in the National Assembly and later the Nigeria Immigration Service, where communication became a long-term strategic exercise.

“The journalist asks, ‘What is the story?’ The strategic adviser asks, ‘What is the story, who needs to hear it, when, and to what end?’”

For Fagbemigun, strategic communication succeeds when it translates technical policies into everyday realities. “My process begins with one question: What does this actually change in a real person’s daily life?”

He cites Nigeria’s passport reform as an example.”The policy language would say ‘contactless renewal system.’ But that means nothing to a Nigerian in London. What means something is this: you no longer have to travel for hours, queue all day or wait six months. You apply from home, and your passport comes to your door in days.”

His communication formula, he explains, is straightforward.”Strip away the institutional language, find the human consequence, and ground it in real testimony. Accuracy keeps you credible. Relatability makes you understood. Testimony makes you believed.”

Maintaining credibility, he argues, requires resisting the temptation to embellish. “The moment you exaggerate, you have traded long-term trust for short-term applause, and that is always a bad trade.”

Instead, every communication must rest on evidence.

“If I cannot defend a claim under scrutiny, it does not go out, no matter how compelling it would be.”

That philosophy also shapes his approach during periods of institutional reform or public scrutiny.

“Silence and spin are both fatal. Silence signals guilt; spin signals dishonesty.”

His framework consists of three steps: acknowledge reality, anchor every message in evidence and maintain consistency across communication channels.

“People are tired of promises. Instead of announcing that things are improving, let the results speak through the testimony of those actually experiencing the change. Show, don’t declare.”

Consistency, rather than publicity, has become the defining feature of his career. “Headlines fade in a day. Influence compounds over years.”

He attributes his longevity to three personal disciplines: nurturing relationships, protecting credibility and continuously learning. “I would rather stay silent than put out something I cannot stand behind, because your reputation is the only asset you cannot buy back once it is spent.”

In an era dominated by social media metrics, Fagbemigun warns that many organisations mistake attention for influence.

“The biggest mistake is confusing noise with influence. Going viral feels like impact, but attention is not the same as trust.”

His most memorable observation captures the challenge facing today’s communicators. “You can be seen by millions and believed by none.”

According to him, organisations often make three costly mistakes: prioritising visibility over understanding, choosing volume over value and sacrificing credibility for temporary applause. “The way to avoid all three is a single discipline: build on substance. Understand your audience deeply, speak only what you can defend, and be willing to be quieter than the noise around you.”

For graduates entering the communications profession, he recommends mastering the craft before aspiring to strategy. “Learn how to report, write and tell a story cleanly. Strategy without craft is just opinion.”

He also emphasises the importance of spending time with the audiences’ professionals hope to influence. “You cannot communicate to a public you do not understand.”

Equally important, he says, is protecting one’s reputation. “In this field, your reputation arrives in the room before you do.”

Ultimately, he believes careers are sustained by consistency rather than moments of fame. “Trust is a function of time plus consistency.”

Summarising the blueprint that has guided his own journey, Fagbemigun reduces strategic communication to three enduring principles. “Understand before you speak. Build on truth you can defend. Be consistent until consistency becomes trust.”

For business leaders, institutions and professionals navigating an increasingly crowded information landscape, his message is clear: credibility, not virality. is the most valuable communication asset.

As he concludes, “Consistency compounds. It is the closest thing to a guaranteed strategy that exists.”