Akunyili to Convert Rebranding Campaign to Peoples’ Movement

Kenneth O. Eze-

Prof Dora Akunyili was received recently by the Brand Writers’ Association of Nigeria (BWAN) in Lagos. She used the occasion to drum support for the Rebranding Nigeria campaign, wishing it would evolve into a movement.

She is focusing on getting as many Nigerians as possible to buy into the project, she posits, explaining that this is the reason behind her taking the message of rebranding the country round Nigeria, instead of touring abroad.

According to Akunyili, “The Diaspora is being taken care of in concert with Nigerian embassies and high commissions. The message is also being preached through almost 20 million Nigerian citizens, who are showing much enthusiasm about the campaign. These are some of the efforts geared towards making the rebranding campaign a movement, the people’s movement.”

Recalling the thrust of the rebranding project, she says “we want to project Nigeria positively and responsibly manage our negatives.” Maintaining that majority of Nigeria’s citizens are honest and hardworking people. Demonstrating her passion for the campaign, she used family values to buttress her point.

A consummate Akunyili draws from social statistics and psychology, saying “if up to 30 percent of the citizens of Nigeria are criminals, the country would have been ungovernable.” Calling on Nigerians to join the movement, her opinion is that the problem stems from “what we are doing to ourselves in this country, and not what the enemy is doing it to us.” The image problem of Nigeria is being orchestrated by Nigerians more than aliens.

Her personal experiences corroborated by that of many other Nigerians is that our Airports remain one of the safest, but we do not tell the story. The security situation in Nigeria is much better than in most other parts of the world, but the Nigerians are not blowing their trumpets. The most grievous aspect is allowing foreigners to take advantage of the silence to orchestrate negative things about Nigeria. Her clarion call is that Nigerians should rise up in unison and put an end to this.

This is why she is unrepentant in making every Nigerian an active participant in the effort to rebrand the country. Her words: “I have to get Nigerians to buy-in on the rebranding project. The rebranding project is very convenient to all. It is anchored on reorientation, attitudinal change, having a sense of personal dignity and patriotism.”

Speaking on the occasion, Wahaab Oba, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos Chapter, expressed pleasure at Akunyili’s effort to rebrand Nigeria, which he thinks is an arduous task. Oba also commended BWAN leadership for connecting with her to fly the patriotic flag higher.

One area that Oba loves to see more action is on the fight against corruption. “Ensure that corruption is stamped out. Thanks to this regime for bringing to book corrupt officials”, he said in allusion to the sentencing of one of retired military generals turned politician that was recently found guilty on charges for corruption.

Similarly, John Ajayi, Publisher of Marketing Edge magazine, speaking at the event observes that Akunyili brought her personal brand equity to bear on her Ministry. “It can longer be said that it is business as usual. Her rebranding efforts are commendable, but her lack of control over the political class is a major setback,” for the campaign, he says.

The impact of the political class, who make news headlines around the world on the image of Nigeria, remains the thorniest issue. The Minister maintains that corruption is alien to Nigeria, making an example of the cultural value that forbids people from stealing goats or other domestic animals. She recalls that domestic animals roam the countryside without guard, only saved by the people’s conscience.

It is something very positive that in a country where people are reputed to live in abject poverty, eating without the necessary protein requirement, they see these sources of protein and are restrained by their good conscience not to feed on the animals.

Her firm stance is that “the international community has been defining us based on the behaviour of a few criminals.” Every country has a fare share of criminals, but by managing it properly a good image is maintained, thereby enhancing brand equity.

Akin Adeoya, the Publisher of M2, resonating Akunyili’s view opines that rebranding Nigeria creates an avenue for an open ended discussion. His counsel is that “our children should know their history.”

Specifically, he recommends that Akunyili should work in concert with her counterpart in the Ministry of Education, “to make study of history, civics and culture compulsory in our schools and colleges.” This, in his opinion, is what would give the average Nigerian child the option of making a choice of his/her hero from home instead of abroad.

Commending the work done so far on the project of rebranding Nigeria, his opinion is: “you have done a great work initiating the project. There must be a rebranding. It is developmental in nature. Before people buy-in to visit, they should have expectations, based on the brand promise. Starting with ‘Nigeria: good people, great nation’ is good, but it can be reviewed going forward.”

In his normal candid self, Adeoya posits that the rebranding proposition should dwell on a unique selling point of the country, not a quality any nation on earth could easily lay claim to. To him, this draws the efforts more towards commoditisation than branding. The efforts so far are good, but it can be reviewed with time.

Akunyili is pleased that the effort to rebrand Nigeria is generating much public interest.  Continuous discourse by competent people is one of the ways to perfection, as, in her opinion, what is important is not a blue print, but implementation.

She further disclosed that her Ministry is not looking back. “We are already working with over 17 million Nigerians abroad and through the 105 Nigerian embassies abroad.” Inviting all Nigerians to board the rebranding Nigeria ship, she opines that “rebranding Nigeria should move from campaign to movement. Everybody should join forces to make the country sellable.”

Do whatever you are doing the right way. It is only a good product that you can sell. We have an image problem. It is not just about infrastructure, we must do something about the image. It is important that we tell the world who we are. Assessing previous efforts to give Nigeria a good image, she posits that only the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) made progress, but it was not sustained.

She insists that everybody has a stake in the project. All hands must come on deck to make sure that this campaign is turned into a movement. Any thing that truncates this would require a tougher resolve to revisit the issue of creating a good image for Nigeria.

Akunyili is happy that the rebranding efforts are already yielding fruits. “We have fought Sonny to standstill because we are rebranding.” Before the rebranding ship set sail, no one would have confronted Sonny over their obnoxious advertisement alluding to Nigerian are criminals. District 9 is also being resolved, thanks to the rebranding campaign.

The Minister says that efforts would continue in a manner that would see Nigeria taking advantage of the personal equity of her citizens in the professions and sports. We are already working with Kanu Nwankwo and would be doing so with Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha very soon, as part of plans to sustain the campaign and ensure mass buy-in across the globe, she explains.