At a government or protocol event, the MC runs the programme the same way as at any other event, with one difference: here the formalities are the event. Who is recognised first, how each dignitary is addressed, the sequence of the anthem and the opening, the timing of the arrivals, all of it carries institutional weight. A wrong title at a product launch is embarrassing. A wrong title in front of a minister, an ambassador or a traditional ruler can be read as a slight against the office.
I have MC’d presidential gala dinners, policy summits and state functions over 19 years, in rooms with heads of state, ambassadors, regulators and traditional rulers. I prepare for every event as if it were my first, and at a state function that preparation is the whole job. So here is what the work actually involves, and what you need to give your MC if you are organising one.
Where government events go wrong
Almost every failure at a protocol event is one of five things.
A title. A permanent secretary introduced as a director, a senator given the wrong honorific, a traditional ruler addressed with a title that belongs to a different kingdom. The room notices instantly.
Precedence. Recognising people in the wrong order. Nigeria has an official order of precedence, and at a government function the protocol team works from it. When the MC recognises the wrong person first, the person who should have been first notices, and so does everyone who works for them.
Sequence. The anthem before the opening prayer or after it. The chief guest’s arrival announced before the room was asked to stand. A vote of thanks before the closing remarks. The sequence at a formal event is fixed.
Timing. Dignitaries arrive late, speeches run long, and the programme still has to close on time because the chief guest has a next engagement. The MC absorbs the difference without the room feeling it.
The microphone. Who speaks, when, and for how long. At a government event nobody passes the microphone around. The MC controls it, and when a guest takes it uninvited the MC takes it back, politely and firmly.
What the MC carries at a protocol event
The MC’s duties at a government function sit on top of the ordinary job of hosting, which I have described in what a master of ceremonies actually does. The protocol layer adds these.
Order of precedence. The MC recognises the dignitaries present in the correct order, from the most senior office downward, working from the written list the protocol team has confirmed. The MC then checks that list on the day against who has actually arrived, because the order changes when someone sends a representative.
Forms of address. Every office has a correct form of address, and the MC uses it every time. This covers federal and state officials, the diplomatic corps, the military and the police, religious leaders and traditional rulers, each with their own conventions. The MC confirms every pronunciation in advance rather than guessing at the podium.
The formalities in sequence. The national anthem, the opening prayer where there is one, the recognition of dignitaries, the welcome address, the goodwill messages, the keynote or the chief guest’s address, the vote of thanks, the closing. The MC agrees that order with the protocol team in writing, then holds it.
The dais and the high table. Who sits where is a protocol decision made by the protocol office, and the MC needs the seating plan so that recognitions and introductions match it. When a dignitary on the high table is called to speak, the MC knows exactly who they are calling and how to address them.
Representatives. A minister who cannot attend sends a representative, and the MC introduces that person correctly: by their own title, representing the office, and in the position in the sequence that the office holds. Getting this wrong offends two people at once.
Discretion. Some things stay off the podium. A late arrival gets covered rather than announced as a delay, and a change of speaker is handled without an explanation to the room. The MC keeps the audience’s attention on the programme.
Working with the protocol and security teams
At a government event the MC does not work alone. The protocol officers own the order of precedence, the seating and the sequence, and the security team owns the movement of the principal guests. My job is to be in step with both.
That means a briefing before the day, where the protocol team walks me through the confirmed programme, the guest list in order, the seating plan and the arrival sequence. It means a channel to the protocol lead during the event, because the list changes when a dignitary arrives unexpectedly or a representative appears in place of a principal. And it means knowing the security plan well enough to hold the room during a movement, such as the chief guest’s arrival or departure, without announcing what is happening.
An MC who turns up on the day with a printed programme and no contact with the protocol team is guessing, and at a state function guessing is how the mistakes above happen.
When the programme changes on the day
It always does. The chief guest is an hour late, a governor arrives who was never on the list, the keynote speaker’s flight is delayed, or a minister leaves before the vote of thanks.
The MC’s job is to reorder the programme in real time, keep the sequence of formalities intact, keep the room warm and dignified through the wait, and never let the audience see the scramble. There is no time to consult a manual on the floor.
Corporate and government hosting are a large part of my work, and the protocol side of it is set out on my corporate MC page.
For organisers: what to give your MC
If you are planning a government or protocol event, the MC can only be as accurate as the material you provide. Send these, and send them early.
- The confirmed programme, with the sequence of formalities agreed by the protocol office.
- The full list of invited dignitaries in order of precedence, with correct titles and forms of address.
- Confirmed pronunciations for every name the MC will say.
- The seating plan for the dais and the high table.
- The arrival and departure plan for the principal guests.
- The name and phone number of the protocol lead who will be on the floor.
- Anything that must not be said from the podium.
Book early. For a large summit or an event with international guests, two to three months ahead. For a standard government function, four to six weeks is the minimum. The full process for booking and briefing an MC is in how to hire the right MC for your corporate event. If you would like to discuss your event, the booking form reaches me directly.
Frequently asked questions
What is order of precedence at an event?
The ranking of officials and dignitaries by seniority of office, used to decide the order in which they are recognised, seated and invited to speak. Nigeria has an official order of precedence for public functions, and the protocol team for an event confirms the list the MC works from.
Will you sign a non-disclosure agreement for a sensitive government event?
Yes. I regularly sign NDAs for board events, pre-launch product reveals and other commercially sensitive engagements. Send your NDA along with the brief and my team will handle it.
Does the MC decide the seating at a government event?
No. Seating is a protocol decision made by the protocol office or the organising team. The MC needs the seating plan so that recognitions and invitations to speak match it, and should raise any conflict with the protocol lead before the event, not from the podium.
Can a wedding or entertainment MC host a government event?
Some can, but the skills are different. A protocol event rewards accuracy, restraint and preparation over energy and humour. Ask the MC which government or protocol events they have hosted before, and ask for a full recording rather than highlights.
What happens if the chief guest arrives late?
The MC keeps the room engaged and dignified, reorders the programme so that items which do not depend on the chief guest run first, and does not announce the delay. When the chief guest arrives, the formalities that require their presence are picked up in sequence.