Is rebranding Nigeria one of the solutions to the challenges of our nationhood? Can we link same to the war against corruption in Nigeria? I posted this question to the members of the group – FIXING Nigeria on Facebook and the following discussions ensued. Have an interesting read.
“Rebranding is good if the product to be rebranded is a qualitative one. The first way to rebrand Nigeria is to ensure the rule of law in every sphere of the society। The thinking pattern of the people needs to change for better and we as a people need to start doing the right things।“The war against corruption can prevail as long as the law is allowed to have it's course. “It is only once the system has been sanitised that rebranding can be effective. A bad product is a bad product, rebranding or not.”
-Oyinlade Itunu-Abitogun
“RE-BRANDING, re- branding- don't we ever get tired ????????????????? A product is bad and you are talking of re- branding it!”I think all of that energy be put into proper implementation of the already existing laws of our land. We have so many issues- ELECTRICITY, TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH, EDUCATION.............No nation can have good rep outside unless it's people first believe in IT.”
- Jecinta Keshy
“Ohimai: Yes! Oyin: Let's Look at this from another perspective. You would agree with me that quality is relative, and is a function of perception. Why do most still prefer to buy a Honda, rather than a Hyundai? It's certainly no longer because Honda is better. Infact, a particular brand of Hyundai seems to have better reviews than the Honda counterpart....and there are many other examples. Gone are the days when Nigeria had just a few people making a difference.Today, we have masterminds and leaders in all spheres and many more are budding, including the person that started this thread. The challenge is people and nations out there (including Nigerians) seem to still have the same old perception of us. we are not the same Nigeria we used to be.
”Actually, those with foresight can see the change already, but most people do not look deeply. Therefore, we have to 'help' people understand the change that is taking place. We must ensure a lot more Nigerians are ready for the organic growth that would overshadow this nation in just a few years.”Every nation on earth has her own challenges. We saw a new side of the US after Kathrina. The part they publicize for us to see is New York and the nice looking places. We have to rid the land of corruption and clean our house for sure, but believe me when i say we deserve a lot more respect, even at the moment.
Selah.”
- Adetayo Bamiduro
“For God's sake lets stop weeping for this country cos its just wasting tears,i dnt tink obama,martin luther,jesse jackson had 2 b weeping,they were sweeping their land by taking a drastic lead,they used their positions as known personalities to cause a little improvement in their homes,churches,communities before they got their peak achievement by improving their nation.Nigeria is a group of people,the people must learn how to connect wit other people,that's where branding nigeria would begin.it's nt about change in name and colour of flag and other things bt we have to brand our mind,character,values and attitude then we are branding our country.the ball is in our court,let the game begin.God bles Nigeria.”
- Mayowa Kuti
"What are we re-branding when the EFCC, ICPC are not only corrupt but a mirage. When we have ministers who are crooks, criminals and outcasts. They are known to be goof thieves who have stolen. There are more criminals in govt than out of govt. Who do they want to preach re-branding to? who needs re-branding more: the governors or the governed? Germane questions."- Olajide Fashikun
“This whole thing is like re-branding "My Pikin" and putting it back in the market. We have to stop all these cosmetic talks on re-branding, re-packaging, re-this, re-that. We know what our problems are. If we conquered "blackout”, fixed our roads and upgraded our ailing infrastructure, created jobs for a good percentage of the 40million unemployed Nigerians, paid more attention to tourism, agriculture and other critical sectors...things will speak for themselves. ”Wait, are we trying to re-order perception about Nigeria or what? I respect Prof. Dora but i knew she was going to land herself in a big palava. You do not Re-brand a system that is teeming with corrupt politicians, contractors and sycophants. If she is out to make a difference, she should push for a change in the internal workings of the system that birthed the prevailing perception about Nigeria.”It appears to me that her concern revolves around what foreigners think about the average Nigerian and not what they think about the LEADERSHIP WHOSE ACTIONS AND INACTIONS LED TO THE COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF THE NIGERIAN STATE…resulting in a generation of impatient and “quick-money-minded" Nigerians.”The last administration spent N1.05Billion on the Heart of Africa Project between 2007-2008 while N19.5 million debt was incurred.Her reasons for dumping the Heart of Africa Project is that it is elitist and externally driven…
God help us.”
-Timothy Ogene
“Look let us leave what the government is not doing and tackle what we as individuals can do. We as Nigerians are blessed not only with raw materials, but with talented individuals who can make positive changes in our country. Why don't we give the governmnent a break and see what we can do for ourselves. Sincerely speaking, thats is one ideology that the western world has that we do not and that is what is helping them till today. A lot of their major companies are owned by individuals. So let’s see what we can do about fixing this country by ourselves and forget about the governmnent because from all indications, governmnent leaders are not exactly ready to stop all these acts of corruption.”- Esiet Bassey
“It constantly amazes me how people try to cover up their own insecurities by capitalizing on those of others; and Nigeria as a country is no exception. One of the reasons why we are still where we are is because we are desperately trying to magnify the 'ok' instead of reaching out for the 'good' and the 'best,' by calling a spade a spade.
“Do u blame foreigners for treating us with disdain n disrespect when they know that even worse obtains in our own country? We should stop being concerned with what the world thinks n begin to focus more on what our people think because a good product will naturally sell even without adverts..."light cannot hide."
“Re-branding though not the ultimate solution, can be a step in the right direction because it is about creating the right image of Nigeria that we want to see in every sector of society, and this is not a Federal project but rather should be a pet project for every individual.
“Our problem is that 'nationhood' is still very elusive for us n until we see ourselves as one bound by national rather than ethnic ties, then we might as well be merely having a wish list. After all, can two work together except they be agreed? It is only foolish to keep on doing things the same way repeatedly and expecting different results.”
-Nkiru Nelson-Ezeugo
REBRANDING NIGERIA......?Rebranding Nigeria is not the issue. What we should do ourselves as Nigerians is to reflect on our attitudes towards each other, our work ethics, leadership and corruption. We have to really put God first in our relationship with ourselves, fellow humans and Nigeria as a nation.
QuestionHow many of us are proud to be Nigerians? How do we show it? Almost all Nigerian associations abroad have factions? Why? Greed and bloated egos. How many of us can make sacrifices for Nigeria no matter where we reside? How many of us can seek or take up political office without cutting corners, seeking or giving out bribes, without inviting Babalawos and thugs to harm our opponents? Let's start by cleansing our HEARTS, love ourselves and fellow Nigerians irrespective of tribe and avoid all the -isms.
Let us show concerns to the poor and needy by investing in meaningful projects in Nigeria. Create jobs and improve education/communities. We have leaders who stole our tax money and invested abroad instead of in Nigeria to give young people jobs (and we are complaining about crimes?). We give them chieftaincy titles and these glorify evil doers. All of over the globe, we can find corrupt leaders, America, England, China, name it - but the difference is that their leaders/politicians and corporate moguls, still utilize the public funds to provide social amenities and infrastructures to their people, thereby creating better life and jobs. Many of us in the Diaspora are enjoying these goodies. Don’t forget, some of us overseas, have parents who have stolen from Nigeria. They come here to lavish it and show off. Woe betides u. Judgment day is coming.
Go to Nigerian universities, hospitals, public schools, roads, etc, nothing is working because of the greed of our leaders. They get contract funds; squander it without executing the projects. We can't even talk about the lame duck members of Senate/Congress. Whose interest are they representing?
My comrades, Rebranding Nigeria, is not our problem. We, as a people should stand up against corruption, unemployment, nepotism, 419ners, kidnappers, police brutality and violent crimes, etc., before we can achieve positive development and image. Ask me how?
Start by visiting home if you are in Diaspora. Support the needy to the best of your ability. Create awareness, attend seminars and conferences, give press briefing on your project ideas to better the nation. Sometimes, ideas and innovation goes a long way in proferring solutions to issues. You never know who has an ear to listen and support them. Encourage your rich parents to extend their benvolence to other folks who deserve it. They should create scholarship endowments in higher institutions to assist the needy but intelligent students, and see to it that such trust funds are utilized properly.
God bless Nigeria and bless all those with positive thoughts and projects to better our homeland.
Emeka could be reached at emekkah@yahoo.com
-Emeka Williams
“I share many of the sentiments expressed thus far...we are underachieving because of our own corrupt leadership. We need a revolution, but not in the generic sense like a violent or non-violent overthrow of the current order. If there was ever a silver bullet to solving Nigeria's problems, it will be ELECTRICITY...affordable, and consistent electricity for all citizens. It would be the most democratic thing we have done since the '99 constitution, and without it, no EFCC, or any other authority will survive the insidious corruption that has plagued our country.”
-Ollie Ogunmokun
“RE-BRANDING, re- branding- don't we ever get tired ????????????????? A product is bad and you are talking of re- branding it!”I think all of that energy be put into proper implementation of the already existing laws of our land. We have so many issues- ELECTRICITY, TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH, EDUCATION.............No nation can have good rep outside unless it's people first believe in IT.”
- Jecinta Keshy
“Ohimai: Yes! Oyin: Let's Look at this from another perspective. You would agree with me that quality is relative, and is a function of perception. Why do most still prefer to buy a Honda, rather than a Hyundai? It's certainly no longer because Honda is better. Infact, a particular brand of Hyundai seems to have better reviews than the Honda counterpart....and there are many other examples. Gone are the days when Nigeria had just a few people making a difference.Today, we have masterminds and leaders in all spheres and many more are budding, including the person that started this thread. The challenge is people and nations out there (including Nigerians) seem to still have the same old perception of us. we are not the same Nigeria we used to be.
”Actually, those with foresight can see the change already, but most people do not look deeply. Therefore, we have to 'help' people understand the change that is taking place. We must ensure a lot more Nigerians are ready for the organic growth that would overshadow this nation in just a few years.”Every nation on earth has her own challenges. We saw a new side of the US after Kathrina. The part they publicize for us to see is New York and the nice looking places. We have to rid the land of corruption and clean our house for sure, but believe me when i say we deserve a lot more respect, even at the moment.
Selah.”
- Adetayo Bamiduro
“For God's sake lets stop weeping for this country cos its just wasting tears,i dnt tink obama,martin luther,jesse jackson had 2 b weeping,they were sweeping their land by taking a drastic lead,they used their positions as known personalities to cause a little improvement in their homes,churches,communities before they got their peak achievement by improving their nation.Nigeria is a group of people,the people must learn how to connect wit other people,that's where branding nigeria would begin.it's nt about change in name and colour of flag and other things bt we have to brand our mind,character,values and attitude then we are branding our country.the ball is in our court,let the game begin.God bles Nigeria.”
- Mayowa Kuti
"What are we re-branding when the EFCC, ICPC are not only corrupt but a mirage. When we have ministers who are crooks, criminals and outcasts. They are known to be goof thieves who have stolen. There are more criminals in govt than out of govt. Who do they want to preach re-branding to? who needs re-branding more: the governors or the governed? Germane questions."- Olajide Fashikun
“This whole thing is like re-branding "My Pikin" and putting it back in the market. We have to stop all these cosmetic talks on re-branding, re-packaging, re-this, re-that. We know what our problems are. If we conquered "blackout”, fixed our roads and upgraded our ailing infrastructure, created jobs for a good percentage of the 40million unemployed Nigerians, paid more attention to tourism, agriculture and other critical sectors...things will speak for themselves. ”Wait, are we trying to re-order perception about Nigeria or what? I respect Prof. Dora but i knew she was going to land herself in a big palava. You do not Re-brand a system that is teeming with corrupt politicians, contractors and sycophants. If she is out to make a difference, she should push for a change in the internal workings of the system that birthed the prevailing perception about Nigeria.”It appears to me that her concern revolves around what foreigners think about the average Nigerian and not what they think about the LEADERSHIP WHOSE ACTIONS AND INACTIONS LED TO THE COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF THE NIGERIAN STATE…resulting in a generation of impatient and “quick-money-minded" Nigerians.”The last administration spent N1.05Billion on the Heart of Africa Project between 2007-2008 while N19.5 million debt was incurred.Her reasons for dumping the Heart of Africa Project is that it is elitist and externally driven…
God help us.”
-Timothy Ogene
“Look let us leave what the government is not doing and tackle what we as individuals can do. We as Nigerians are blessed not only with raw materials, but with talented individuals who can make positive changes in our country. Why don't we give the governmnent a break and see what we can do for ourselves. Sincerely speaking, thats is one ideology that the western world has that we do not and that is what is helping them till today. A lot of their major companies are owned by individuals. So let’s see what we can do about fixing this country by ourselves and forget about the governmnent because from all indications, governmnent leaders are not exactly ready to stop all these acts of corruption.”- Esiet Bassey
“It constantly amazes me how people try to cover up their own insecurities by capitalizing on those of others; and Nigeria as a country is no exception. One of the reasons why we are still where we are is because we are desperately trying to magnify the 'ok' instead of reaching out for the 'good' and the 'best,' by calling a spade a spade.
“Do u blame foreigners for treating us with disdain n disrespect when they know that even worse obtains in our own country? We should stop being concerned with what the world thinks n begin to focus more on what our people think because a good product will naturally sell even without adverts..."light cannot hide."
“Re-branding though not the ultimate solution, can be a step in the right direction because it is about creating the right image of Nigeria that we want to see in every sector of society, and this is not a Federal project but rather should be a pet project for every individual.
“Our problem is that 'nationhood' is still very elusive for us n until we see ourselves as one bound by national rather than ethnic ties, then we might as well be merely having a wish list. After all, can two work together except they be agreed? It is only foolish to keep on doing things the same way repeatedly and expecting different results.”
-Nkiru Nelson-Ezeugo
REBRANDING NIGERIA......?Rebranding Nigeria is not the issue. What we should do ourselves as Nigerians is to reflect on our attitudes towards each other, our work ethics, leadership and corruption. We have to really put God first in our relationship with ourselves, fellow humans and Nigeria as a nation.
QuestionHow many of us are proud to be Nigerians? How do we show it? Almost all Nigerian associations abroad have factions? Why? Greed and bloated egos. How many of us can make sacrifices for Nigeria no matter where we reside? How many of us can seek or take up political office without cutting corners, seeking or giving out bribes, without inviting Babalawos and thugs to harm our opponents? Let's start by cleansing our HEARTS, love ourselves and fellow Nigerians irrespective of tribe and avoid all the -isms.
Let us show concerns to the poor and needy by investing in meaningful projects in Nigeria. Create jobs and improve education/communities. We have leaders who stole our tax money and invested abroad instead of in Nigeria to give young people jobs (and we are complaining about crimes?). We give them chieftaincy titles and these glorify evil doers. All of over the globe, we can find corrupt leaders, America, England, China, name it - but the difference is that their leaders/politicians and corporate moguls, still utilize the public funds to provide social amenities and infrastructures to their people, thereby creating better life and jobs. Many of us in the Diaspora are enjoying these goodies. Don’t forget, some of us overseas, have parents who have stolen from Nigeria. They come here to lavish it and show off. Woe betides u. Judgment day is coming.
Go to Nigerian universities, hospitals, public schools, roads, etc, nothing is working because of the greed of our leaders. They get contract funds; squander it without executing the projects. We can't even talk about the lame duck members of Senate/Congress. Whose interest are they representing?
My comrades, Rebranding Nigeria, is not our problem. We, as a people should stand up against corruption, unemployment, nepotism, 419ners, kidnappers, police brutality and violent crimes, etc., before we can achieve positive development and image. Ask me how?
Start by visiting home if you are in Diaspora. Support the needy to the best of your ability. Create awareness, attend seminars and conferences, give press briefing on your project ideas to better the nation. Sometimes, ideas and innovation goes a long way in proferring solutions to issues. You never know who has an ear to listen and support them. Encourage your rich parents to extend their benvolence to other folks who deserve it. They should create scholarship endowments in higher institutions to assist the needy but intelligent students, and see to it that such trust funds are utilized properly.
God bless Nigeria and bless all those with positive thoughts and projects to better our homeland.
Emeka could be reached at emekkah@yahoo.com
-Emeka Williams
“I share many of the sentiments expressed thus far...we are underachieving because of our own corrupt leadership. We need a revolution, but not in the generic sense like a violent or non-violent overthrow of the current order. If there was ever a silver bullet to solving Nigeria's problems, it will be ELECTRICITY...affordable, and consistent electricity for all citizens. It would be the most democratic thing we have done since the '99 constitution, and without it, no EFCC, or any other authority will survive the insidious corruption that has plagued our country.”
-Ollie Ogunmokun
