You’ve got to like social media. It’s a fascinating space for you to laugh, be amazed and also to learn how the human mind works. One thing that intrigued me in the last week was the attention drawn to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s umbrella and power bank.
The argument for and against also provided a curious social experiment for those of us in the social sciences but this brief is not about what was said and what wasn’t, it is simply about analyzing the body language of Osinbajo and why this should be a good study going forward.
Not many Nigerians are familiar with Kinesics and that is why I laugh when I see comments such as the ones on the Vice President holding his own umbrella or carrying a power bank.
Kinesics is the study and interpretation of nonverbal communication related to the movement of any part of the body or the body as a whole; in layman’s terms, it is the study of body language. I understand for many, there is no big deal if the VP holds his own umbrella but in Africa and even Nigeria it is.
Most of our leaders do not have the humility and leadership required to exude this kind diligence. It is not only about leadership but it shows a man who is focused on achieving a goal or objective and will not allow protocol delay him.
As Vice President of a country, protocol ordinarily does not permit you to hold your own umbrella but Osinbajo has shown that he will break protocol if need be. He has often time stopped his convoy to come down to greet ordinary Nigerians, breaking security protocol.
His body language shows that he is more concerned about the job at hand and he is willing to get the job done if it means breaking protocol.
As for the power bank the VP is carrying, it again shows that the body language of the man says, never stop working. He shows that he is a no-nonsense person who will not allow communication lapse just because he is commuting from one function, task, event, meeting, etc to another. Those who use power bank can tell you that it is not about having constant electricity at home or office, it is because they cannot go off their phone for any reason whatsoever.
I think going forward, kinesics should be part of our political system, it will help many Nigerians make up their minds rather correctly on such issues as these ones.
