REBRANDING NIGERIA: WITH BRITAIN'S HELP?

Minister of Information, Dora Akunyili, met with Bob Dewar, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria on Monday, May 18th, 2009. During this meeting, in Abuja, Nigeria, Dewar stated his country's support of the re-branding project and Akunyili responded,

"We count on you to help us in this journey of rebranding Nigeria and we pray that by the grace of God it will succeed.

"I am happy that you are in support of this rebranding project. I look forward to getting some help from you on this work of letting the world know that Nigeria is not where nothing works..."

To this, Dewar replied,

"We hope to make our own contribution to ensure that the positive image of Nigeria is projected across the world..."

This polite discussion between Akunyili and Dewar begs the question of whether or not Britain will play a role in the re-branding campaign. One cannot ignore the fact that when the re-branding campaign was launched, Akunyili stressed that the 'Good People, Great Nation' campaign was "a Nigerian project for Nigerians" and that it would make no sense taking it abroad.

IS THERE A CONTRACT IN THE WINGS?
So, has there been a change of heart? Will some branding outfit connected to Britain be granted a contract to spearhead the re-branding campaign? It is well known that British branding wizard, Simon Anholt, was one of the first in the branding industry to introduce the world to the concept of nation brands. His company has created the leading poll on national brands and in its most recent edition, Nigeria, one of only 3 African countries included, came in at 49 out of the 50 nations listed.

While it is always crucial to get the best persons to work on projects of such magnitude and importance, it would definitely be a shame if Nigerians are not given the opportunity to 'partner' with the Nigerian government in the fulfillment of the re-branding campaign. A simple online search would point any interested officials to the countless sites on which Nigerians have generated numerous constructive ideas on how to effectively transform the way Nigerians and indeed, the world sees Nigeria. In addition to the numerous individuals who have chipped in ideas for free, ideas that should undoubtedly be implemented, there is also the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria, which undoubtedly has members with the expertise to assist Akunyili in managing this campaign.

STILL NO ONLINE PRESENCE
Akunyili introduced the 'Good People, Great Nation' project earlier this year and almost 3 months later, a website is still not available for interested parties to visit and gather more information. This unfortunate reality is despite the fact that Akunyili promised that this project would be transparent, unike the previous 'Heart of Africa' project. Information such as the names of the members of the 22-man re-branding team has been hard to find. However, the individuals on the Rebranding Nigeria Implentation Committee (RNIC) include -

1. Dora Akunyili
2. Lolu Akinwumi
3. Ahmed Gumi
4. Julia Oku-Jacks
5. Peter Edochie
6. Henry Angulu
7. Gbenga Adefaye
8. Bashir Borodo
9. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani
10. Tonnie Iredia
11. Isawa Elaigwu
12. Hilda Dokubo-Mrakpor
13. Michael Abe
14. Sam Amadi
15. Ikechuckwu Nwosu
16. Garba Kankarofi
17. David Oyedepo
18. Jubril Aminu
19. Idi Farouk
20. Abike Dabiri-Erewa
21. Bilikisu Yusuf
22. Bashir Borodo

It is crucial for not just the names of these individuals to be available to the public, but other details about the progress of the campaign to be accessible. This is particularly the case because much of the reaction to the campaign's announcement was negative not just from Nigerians, but also from the foreign press, which publicly mocked the initiative. In order to quell the concerns of Nigerians that are worried that this is simply an opportunity to line the pockets of a selective few, Akunyili must continue to reach out to the public and update Nigerians on the project. One of the quickest ways to do this is via the creation of an online presence for the campaign. Radio jingles, newspaper advertisements and television spots would also be extremely helpful for reaching those Nigerians within the country who definitely have a right to know what the money allocated for re-branding will mean for them.

There is no question that Nigeria needs to revamp its international image, and there is no question that the Nigerian psyche needs to be jump started. This re-branding campaign continues to present an opportunity to achieve these objectives, but those charged with managing this quest must not lose sight of the significance of this project and the possibilities it presents. Akunyili and those on the RNIC must not forget that the best way to gain the confidence and good will of Nigerians and others is to carry out their job properly, by successfully using Nigerians, in every capacity and context, to rebrand the country. Such success will be crucial. That and concrete evidence of change from the Federal Government on the issues that count will help transform what for now seems like an almost non-existent project, into a breathing campaign that even naysayers will be unable to publicly downplay or dismiss. Nigeria itself must also change for re-branding to work.

CORRECTION: Thanks to Agegelabs for pointing out that the re-branding effort actually does have a website. I obviously could not find it but it is available here. However, I must unfortunately state that the "Contact Us' information is deficient as it only provides the physical location and phone numbers for the Re-branding Nigeria campaign's headquarters. It would definitely be a good idea to allow for a serious debate and/or exchange of ideas.


Related Articles of Interest:
- Nigeria's Re-branding Effort
- Using Nigerians to Re-Brand Nigeria
- Re-branding Nigeria: Success is the Key
- The Nigerian Psyche
- Persistent Psychological Paralysis
- The Significance of Persistent Psychological Paralysis Read more!