Nigeria's Tourism Rebranding Effort
What is Nigeria telling the world now?
From "Giant in the Sun" to the controversial "Hearts of Africa" and now, "Nigeria, Good People, Great Nation," Nigeria has re-branded itself three times in a matter of 20 years.
The first question that we must ask is, why rebrand Nigeria? For a common man to understand my argument, products, nations and destinations are rebranded for various reasons, but principally on account of its "unattractiveness" to those that should be patronizing it or like it. Again, it could also be a failed product/products or nation/nations that need to reawaken itself to the consciousness of the consumers/international community as in the case of Nigeria as a nation.
Today, Nigeria is an unattractive brand to the international community and even to Nigerians at home and in the Diasporas. It has been so because it is a failed nation. It has failed its citizenry and the international community. Is it in the area of good leadership or prudent management of its wealth or what?
How can a nation that cannot guarantee regular power supply, provide good roads, protect its citizens wherever they are, whose institutions and hospitals are in bad shape, rebrand itself without conscious and concrete move to fix the aforementioned?
You can tell the Europeans and the Americans that Nigerians are suddenly good people overnight, as Akuyili will want them to believe. I have traveled around the world; Nigerians are disliked because of the level of corruption in the country and mismanagement by our leaders.
Time will come that the president, ministers, senators, house members, ambassadors and high commissioners will be stoned with rotten eggs and tomatoes on the street of Europe and America for mismanaging our economy just like the former president suffered recently in London.
Akuyili and her consultants should watch CNN, BBC and other international channels to see how countries brand themselves with their unique tourism products.
It is a shame that a pharmacist like Akuyili is rebranding Nigeria, whereas, there are public relations gurus that can be information minister. I can excuse the journalists who are themselves comfortable with them being mere press boys.
As a public relations student, I distaste any body just being appointed as information and communication minister. The present minister is a green horn and most of her staff members lack the technical expertise required to succeed in the area of effective and efficient communication to both internal and external audiences. This is responsible for every Dick and Harry appointed minister to easily come up with a rebranding project.
The perception of every Nigerian being a potential criminal in a foreign land is as a result of abundant criminality entrenched in our management and leadership style.
Branding or rebranding involves telling the truth, because public relations is telling the truth about oneself.
Every country that branded has done so with their tourism potentials to attract tourists. For instance, India with its slogan "Incredible India," South Africa, Malaysia, Angola, just to name a few.
I will not be surprised, if the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation and the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation [NTDC] were not involved in the exercise.
What is Nigeria telling the world now?
Comments
@Richard: Tell us your country and we tell you the flaws!
You lived in Nigeria for 3year. How does that express your true understanding of Nigeria better than us who lived here all our lifes?
How does Nigeria compare to US in crime rate? How does Nigeria compare to China in fraud? How does Nigeia Compare to germany in racism?
These are countries, i guess you prefer, rright? Lol! i laugh it off!!!
NIGERIA COULD PRESENT ITSELF TO THE WORLD AS EDUCATIONAL TOURISM.
SCHOOL NUMBER 1.
HOW TO BE A CON ARTIST.
SCHOOL NUMBER 2.
HOW TO TURN YOUR COUNTRY INTO A WORLD CLASS SEWER.
SCHOOL NUMBER 3.
HOW TO BE A GRAFT AND CORRUPTION ARTIST.
AND ON AND ON AND ON.
WHO WAS IT THAT SAID 'REBRANDING NIGERIA IS LIKE PUTTING PERFUME ON SHIT'?
I strongly disagree that Nigerian would be rebranded when corruption is existing
Nigeria is a great country, even though those in command are greedy and selfish, the citizens never gave up. And until they listen to the cry of the old folks and wipe the sweat of the young ones that keep striving for a better tommorrow,then i belive Nigeria will be on their way forward and will be a better place for all.
I agree with you that Education is the bedrock of good leadership but how will that be achieved when structures are not in place.
Dora may have achieved a lot as the NAFDAC Director but that was not outside of the amount of information she possessed in the area of Pharmacy. What does a phamacist has to offer in PR issues when there are masters in field? Let's face it, I believe she is given this post so that the importers of fake drugs she has successfully curbed can perpetrate their evil plans.
In advertising, rebranding is not done or complete on the label alone without the product. They (the leaders) need to check their excesses. Let them lead and others will follow.
Nigeria is a great nation with great potentials and wrong people in the right places. once this issue is addressed, Nigeria wil be ready for rebranding
While I agree that, presently, there is so much to be fixed about Nigeria and that there is almost nothing to brand Nigeria about, I also disagree with your approach to attacking the Information Minister.
She is one of our finest. She hasn't appointed herself as the Information Minister. SHe has only believe she could carry the oars on her shoulder and help transfer the wonders she performed in NAFDAC to the Rebranding of the Country as an Information Minister.
Out of the numerous Miniters that were sworn in at the same time she was, mention one thing that others have done. Dora is just one of our finest that deserves our commendation than condemnation if she will have to succeed.
While tourism is a good channel to attarct tourist, the mentality of the people towards foreigners either keeps or chases them.
Rebranding Nigeria, basically, does not imply regular supply of electricity and pipe-bourne water. It does not imply good roads and other basic ammenities.
Largely, rebranding Nigeria has alot to do with birthing new Nigerians. People that believe in the Nigeria Project. Education is a vital key to the realization of a New NIgeria.
South Africa has a record for high criminality, but they have gotten a good leadership to make us all look the other ways,
China people deal in advanced fee fraud than Nigerians, but they have also got a great leadership that tells you that the world is moving eastward.
Germans are widely known for racism. Yet, the German brand sells. Leadership is what it takes. And Leadership starts from individual.
A bad leader today, check, was that bad follower yesterday.
I maintain that, while other ammenities might be lacking in the meantime, EDUCATION TO ALL, should be given the appropriate advantages for the Nigeria Project to be successful.
That's funny.... except for livng there for three years, I was gonna say the same thing about the US.
let them say,4 all I care.
I'm NIGERIAN 2 d bone,& proud 2 b so.
Ur criticsm help me know myself & as well, make me strong & strive 4 d beta.
A BIG THANKS 2 Y'ALL
Rebranding Nigeria is like deodorizing shit.
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
I LIVED THERE FOR 3 YEARS.
IT IS A CON ARTISTS 'DREAM COME TRUE'.
IT IS ALSO AN ABSOLUTE DISEASE RIDDEN, FILTHY, 'SHIT HOLE'.
THE BEST THING ONE CAN DO FOR THAT COUNTRY IS USE IT AS A NUKE TEST SITE AS THAT IS THE ONLY WAY YOU WILL EVER 'DEODORIZE' THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU HATE SOMEONE AND THEY ASK YOU 'WHERE SHOULD I GO ON VACATION - SEND THEM TO NIGERIA. THEY WILL HATE YOU BUT THEN THEY MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
Strong words for an aptly titled piece. Nigerians' affinity for working backwards never ceases to floor me - perhaps because so many of us are easily taken by smokescreens, we think that the rest of the world will be too?
It is a gullible person indeed who believes that the new logo is accompanied by or as a result of a change in the Nigerian mentality.
I would addend that the populace is as much to blame as the government: it's not as though the world deals with corrupt officials on a daily basis. The world is rife with fraudulent Nigerians leaving a sour taste in peoples' mouths, and that has as much to do with leadership as with a failure of parents to instill high morals in their children, regardless of whether there is constant light or water.
We are all responsible for Nigeria's failings as a state.
Bravo on an excellent article on Nigeria's "new" tourism branding campaign. In November, 2009, I took a group of 31 former Peace Corps Volunteers on a "reunion" tour of Nigeria. They had all been assigned to various town/cities throughout Nigeria back in the 1960's. Because of the Biafran War, they all had to be taken out of Nigeria. The reunion tour in November was their first visit back in more than forty years. There were many disappointments--- from poor roads to the shameful condition of some of the museums, the need for armed security guards, to numerous sub-standard hotels. Last, but not least, the fraudulent and deceptive practices of the New York-based, Nigerian tour company (Access Africa) would make a return visit to Nigeria an extremely remote possibility.
Marlene Melton, President
African Ventures Inc
50 West 97th Street
New York, NY 10025
212-280-4374
Nigerians will never be trusted in our lifetimes again. It's too late ... they'll have to wait until current generations die off before anyone will trust them again. They're just too well known as being pathological liars and scammers.
http://ripoffreport.com/consumer_resources.asp#AfricanMoney
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