Discursive legitimation through strategic framing: insights from central bank crisis responses in Ghana and Nigeria

Purpose An organization’s message design during crises is crucial to maintaining its legitimacy. This study extends the framing theory to analyze the strategies used by Ghana’s and Nigeria’s central banks to build discursive legitimacy during their respective financial crises. It also helps to decolonize our understanding of how central banks respond to crises and preserve their license to operate using evidence from two African countries. Design/methodology/approach The article analyzed 28 statements, ranging from one to 13 pages, issued by the two central banks in their efforts to respond to and manage the crises, using a qualitative frame-analytical approach. Findings The two central banks emphasize four similar but nuanced frames: stability and resilience in the financial sector; consumer protection and interest; national interest and sovereignty and technological efficiency and inclusion. These findings suggest that, although a shared foundational narrative exists, each country’s central bank employs unique legitimation strategies that align with its socio-economic context. Practical implications This study offers practitioners, researchers and students some valuable insights into how public relations technicians in Africa develop crisis response messages during financial emergencies. It also highlights findings that show the reflective situational and cultural factors shaping the content of crisis statements. Originality/value This study advances broader discussions of discursive legitimation during financial crises and crises more broadly, while also helping overcome the limitations of geographical viewpoints in crisis studies.