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Within the last twenty years Nigeria has seen a dismal rating among the grouping of nations. Military leadership and poor democratic institutions have tarnished Nigeria’s image abroad. The rot in the system due to the high level of looting has ravaged almost all regions of the country. Various indicators of development show that Nigeria is at the bottom rung of the ladder. For example, the unemployment rate has been very high in the past years due to frequent power outages and unavailability of capital for entrepreneurs. Manufacturing companies are churning out lakhs of people every year. The ongoing Niger Delta crisis is tarnishing the country’s image abroad. Advance fee fraud is on the rise, most of whose victims are foreigners.
portrayed with an unconventional image of Nigeria; If you look deeply, you will find that all the negative news being spread about Nigeria are either half-baked or not true at all. The present government is not sleeping at all. The three levels of government have recently influenced their constituencies. The federal government has made a small effort to instill sanity in politics through its seven-point agenda. These are parastatals such as: National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), etc. have been at the fore in carrying out their mandate.
At the state level, governors have tried to fulfill their election promises. States such as Lagos, Rivers, Delta and Anambra have been a model for other governors. Take Lagos for example: within the last three years the chaotic nature of Lagos has been transformed into quasi-London. Lagos Island is clean, developed and bright, Oshodi along with many other towns within the metropolis is also getting a facelift. Governor Fashola within two years of leadership built many roads, equipped schools, provided piped water, provided ICT centers, etc. Due to the momentum Lagos State has led other state governors in development-ICT, education, health care, road construction, etc.
With this recent development it suffices to say that Nigeria is on the verge of reformation. Nigeria needs to shed its image to re-establish its status in the community of nations. This brings up an interesting term ‘rebranding’. Rebranding in layman’s language is repackaging of a product. A good way to improve your business is to rebrand your product to attract more customers. Nigeria what was once a bad product needs to be rebranded to improve its image.
Recently the Minister of Information and Communications Prof. Dora Akunili announced the government’s rebranding strategy. The project was launched by President Omar Yar’Adua and $1m was allocated for it. The announcement generated a lot of publicity in the media, resulting in media chats, forums and gossips. Some people were in support and some were not.
In defense of the project, Professor Dora Akunili admitted that the country had a bad image. As the main image maker of the government, she wants to restore Nigeria’s former good name. Her intention is not to sing praises, but is born out of her desire to raise the image of the country she loves so much. Based on his success in his previous posting (DG of NAFDAC) you will feel that he has a strong affinity for the country. , During her extensive travels abroad as Director General of NAFDAC, she came to the conclusion that there is no place like home.
Ever since the rebranding project began, he and his team have been spreading the message locally and in the diaspora. The whole world has to know some good things about Nigeria: good weather, intelligent people, low tax system, good tourist attractions etc. In her campaigns she has been urging Nigerians to believe in themselves. She said she has a prime duty to encourage journalists and media organizations to present the good things about Nigeria, while at the same time responsibly reporting negativity in the system.
One of his other reasons for the rebranding project is for the country to utilize its strategic position in West Africa. He postulated that the rebranding would make Nigeria the center of business activities. There are many things that foreign investors can invest in: agriculture, healthcare, road construction, ICT, telecommunications, etc.
At this juncture one may ask whether this grand project will fall on the tarmac like the ‘Heart of Africa’ project. Let me give you a brief lecture Prof. Dora Akunili has never failed in any of her endeavors in life. He has lived an extraordinary life. She is a successful mother, successful lecturer, successful administrator etc. It is interesting to know that at present she is the most celebrated woman on the planet earth – with more than a thousand awards in her kitty. With this luck I believe the project will be successful.
The rebranding project if adopted well will attract foreign grants, loans, technical assistance, goods etc. to the country. The most populous black nation will rise again. We need Nigeria more than we need Nigeria. We should think about what we can contribute to Nigeria rather than what we can get from it. It is not in packing our bags for Europe or America that our economic problems will be solved; Rather it will end if we spend our time pursuing qualitative things.
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