Several rebranding and image laundering projects have been floated by Nigeria.
Think of Muhammadu Buhari’s War Against Indiscipline (WAI), Ibrahim Babangida’s Mass Mobilisation for Self Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER), Olusegun Obasanjo’s Heart of Africa and Umaru Yar’adua’s Good People Great Nation.
None made an enduring impact.
However, a new private sector driven campaign, spearheaded by i-Nigeria Initiative, is engaging citizens on how to reposition the Nigerian brand.
i-Nigeria Initiative National Coordinator, Ada Apiafi, spoke on this and other issues when Senior Correspondent, GODDIE OFOSE, interviewed her in Abuja.
What it means to be a Nigerian
Ada Apiafi
Nigerians are Nigerians, very simple. There are issues in other places, even in a country like America; they have theirs. But if an American is going to stand up and talk he is not likely to say America is a useless country, and that nothing good can come out of America.
It is a mindset. It is the way we project ourselves. I’ve heard a lot of foreigners say that even the way Nigerians talk about ourselves do not help matters. It starts with us and ends with us. Irrespective of the efforts of the federal government, we are addressing the minds of Nigerians as a whole.
That is what i-Nigeria is all about, and that is why our simple mission is re-awakening the pride of being a Nigerian. And that is why we have a weekly TV programme, “i-Nigeria”, on air. We always end it with a slogan, ‘i-Nigeria, this is who I am.’
“So I ask you today, who are you as a Nigerian? And what are you doing in your individual capacity to contribute to the image of the country? The image of the country is not a spiritual thing, it is us Nigerians.
Lack of funds
We are private individuals. Right now, we are using our individual funds. We are using quite a lot of our funds. We’ve done this thing for close to eight months; we are not getting any funding.
The only thing that drives us is just the conviction. The conviction that these things can change and that change can start from us. This is a mind thing, a re-orientation. It is something you and I can do.
Major challenges
As I said, this is a private initiative and not a government one. We are not looking at government initiatives as part of what we are doing. We are just in our own little way trying to reach out to Nigerians who will do things right, and over a period of time have a ripple effect.
And of course, over a period of time, we Nigerians will see that the responsibility for the image of the country actually lies with us, not just a job for the government.
The government is doing its own project. The reason we are doing it is that we feel that at least I can talk to you and some others, and they in turn talk to others. There will be a ripple effect, and this should work.
Targets
We have a project called the i-Nigeria Schools’ Club. We have started reaching out to schools.
Why private sector driven
If they see that some people are trying to do something about the image of the country, if they want to partner with us, we will by every means agree.
Practical steps
Beside some other efforts, we believe the media is a big instrument we intend to use to propagate the gospel of re-awakening the Nigerianness in you. The media is our friend, and we want to make sure that these things are promoted and spread, and it is the media that can do that for us.
Partnership with NOA
We are talking with the NOA (National Orientation Agency). It is a private initiative. At the end of the day Nigeria is our country, we don’t have any other country to call our own, and unless we want to shut down Nigeria, we must live a life of positivity as Nigerians.
