Peter Ogudoro is a Development Practitioner and PR Consultant based in the UK. In this interview with Saturday Vanguard he spoke to SIMEON NDAJI on the need to re-brand Nigeria.
What is Re-branding Nigeria all about ?
Ogudoro
I understand that the authorities behind this project are trying a new and positive image for Nigeria.This must have been informed by the obvious fact that our image has been battered by our chequered history and poor leadership which has poverty, instability and hopelessness, traits of our country. It is not a bad idea to embark on a project like this. But it is unfortunate that the procedure being followed is faulty and certainly will not deliver what they are looking for.
Why can’t we get what we are looking for ?
From what we have seen so far, the managers of this project do not know what a brand is and are unfamiliar with the steps that should be taken to re-brand the country or any product for that matter.
Re-branding is not about saying good things about your country when you can’t provide the evidence to support your claims. Re-branding should be more perspira-tion than propaganda. In the absence of evidence people seldom trust a communicator and hardly can accept what the person is saying. Saying that Nigeria is a great country doesn’t make an average German believe that the country is great.
This is because many Nigerians live in Germany as refugees and tell Germans that they are reluctant to return to Nigeria. Saying that we are good people does not make a Spanish believe we are good because they see fraudulent people from this country and prostitutes who were smuggled into their country for indulgence in illegalities.
Do you think that re-branding Nigeria can solve her problem holistically?
Re-branding Nigeria can make a world of difference if properly handled. Handling it properly
means working hard to in place the evidence that can support our claims to the effect that we are great and good .This is achievable provided we bring the right orientation to bear on the project .It will be difficult to realise this when the managers of this project lack the technical skills for realising the objectives being pursued and think that their involvement in the project is a divine opportunity to solve their material problems.
What is preventing the authorities from doing the right thing?
As I have implied the managers of the project lack the orientation and the skills for the pursuit and realisation of this lofty objectives.I say so because of their outputs I have seen. It is not impossible that a few involved in the project may possess the relevant skills but have not been given the space to apply those skills to the advantage of Nigeria.
How do you mean by space?
The political masters are not really interested in Nigeria’s greatness, but in what they will get from the coffers of the country may not give opportunity to anyone who is committed to efficiency and effectiveness in handling of national matters. This is because when things are done properly there will be less opportunities for them to get what they do not deserve.
How do we get people with the right orientation to deliver the project?
The key is open-mindedness and patriotism which will enable the people in government to select the right people who may be within or outside the country.It is important to note that true professionals derive their fulfilment more from having the enabling environment to use their skills optimally than from the material benefits of their efforts.
That environment is obviously absent in Nigeria and I won’t be surprised to hear that those who know what to do have turned down the invitation to serve. Professionals do not like to be embarrassed by appointments they can afford to turn down .
A friend told me recently that Nigeria is moving backward on a 100 meter run pace! Does it mean nothing is improving in the country? hmmmm!
Rebranding to me or what ever they call it is digression.The biggest problem of Nigeria and Nigerians is simple SINCERITY. We have all things to grow and be happy.
THE FAULT IS NOT IN OUR STARS BUT IN OURSELVES.
I like to suggest to Mr President and possibly the PDP to organise a TINK TANK OF NIGERIANS FROM ALL PROFESSIONS,COMPILE, ANALYSE AND SUGGEST VARIOUS PATH TO DEVELOPMENT FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
Mr President,sir, do not say this is nonsense because it will go a long way to help our country.Forget about political party affliation.Today none of the poitical parties are intact.Try to bring Nigerians together and let them chart the way they want the country to be.REMEMBER WE ARE NOT ONE NATION EXCEPT WE ARE DECIEVING OURSELVES.
Great leaders like Indira Ghandi,Wiston Churchill,Abraham Lincon,Mao Tse Tung et al have done what I am suggesting and today we can see what is happening in their respective countries today. I know many peolpe will discouraged you about this laudable project,these type of people did not love you all they want is your political failure.
The most important areas for the TINK TANK GROUP are: 24 HRS PER WEEK UNITERRUPTED ELECTRICITY SUPPLY: GOOD ROAD NET WORK: PORTABLE WATER SUPPLY TO ALL NOOKS AND CORNERS OF NIGERIA: EMPLOYMENT CREATION AND SECURITY.
These should be the main focus followed by EDUCATION, HEALTH,AGRICULTURE,TOURISM etc.
Mr President, sir,in other to cut cost,the TINK TANK GROUP do not need any vote from the federation account,we only need volunteers whereby you will choose those you think are really serious.
Collation of data could be done in the six geopolitical zones of the country using any of the University in each zone.
LET ALL OF US ASK OURSELVES WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS FACING US? AND WHAT ARE THE LIKELT SOLUTIONS.
Dont forget the United State of America sometime ago told us we have 15 years to survive as a nation and by the time you spend your 8 yrs in Govt,know how many yrs it remains? I AM HIGHLY OPTIMISTIC WE SHALL SURVIVE BUT ONLY ON ONE CONDITION YOU DO ALL THESE THINGS I LISTED BELLOW.
THEN REBRANDING WILL BE MEANINGFULL.
The average common Nigerians are not the problems,but you big shots irrespective of your political class eating our resources with all your mouths and forget one day you will close your eyes and will not open it any more.
EACH DAY I WOKE UP MY HEART BLED FOR NIGERIA.
MAY OLODUMARE CONTINUE TO BLESS NIGERIA AND NIGERIANS.
Excellently written post. You hit a lot of important things on branding “Re-branding is not about saying good things about your country when you can’t provide the evidence to support your claims. Re-branding should be more perspira-tion than propaganda. In the absence of evidence people seldom trust a communicator and hardly can accept what the person is saying.” Love that. Nice work.
It is not severance pay that is the problem, it is the over empolyed political class that is the problem. What of other hidden pays, like entertainments, clothing, unnessasary security payments, gratifications, unneceasary estacodes and other unnecessary travel allowances, etc. The Governments, federal, states and local governments spend about 0ne and half trillion naira on wages and unneccessary emoluments. This amout is almost 85% of our yearly earings. These federal, state and local government workers are about 5 to 6 % of the population of Nigeria. In short about 6% of the population of Nigeria spend about 85% of the money of Nigeria. So the remaiming 15% of the money of Nigeria is spent on about 6% of the population, by way of capital projects. We all know what happens, to the so called capital projects, as part of it is eaten up by corruptions. This is the actual picture of Nigeria and yet the majority of Nigerians the about 94% of the population, have done nothing about this disgraceful practice.
I see no reason why Nigeria, must have two house of representation at the Federal level, namely Senate and house of representatives. Nigeria should have, only one chamber at the federal level. We should either do away with the Senate or the house of representatives. This will save a lot of money, which will be used, for capital expenditure that will benefit the masses.
On the states we should either scrap them and have more powerful local governments and a federal government or we should drastically reduce their wasteful spendings and their wasteful and unneccessary appiontments, just to give jobs for the boys and girls. The state assembly members if we must keep them, should only get sitting allowances, what they collect now, is not good vavle for the type of money they collect from the treasuries. They are reaping off Nigeria. I am sure something can be worked out, to further address this unneccessary drain on public funds. Most of the state houses are just rubber stamp for the governors and most of the houses of assemblies if not all are redundant.
The local government where, almost 50% of the money of Nigeria is spent or rather wasted on unneccessary appiontments, which could not have been made in the first place. ALL councillors should only be paid sitting allowances and all other political appointments in the councils cancelled, for they are not necessary but ridiculous. The money saved from these reorganisations should then be used for capital developements, that will impact on all Nigerians. If we address all these, we can have the money for energy and electricity, whick will create and generate lots of jobs for Nigerians. We will have money for good roads, hospitals, schools, etc, these will impact on all Nigerians. If we fail to adderss these issues now, Nigeria will be sitting on a time bomb, that can consume all of us.