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| Nigeria re-brands for better image
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Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) -
Signalling a determination to change Nigeria's perceptio
n as a nation of fraudsters and cheats,
the country's federal government Tuesday launched a new logo and slogan as the f
irst step in its re-branding Nigeria
campaign.
The logo and slogan: ''Nigeria: Good people, Great Nation', was chosen after a t
ough competition involving Nigerians at home and
abroad, and unveiled at a ceremony in the capital city of Abuja by Vice Presiden
t Goodluck Jonathan, who stood in for President Umaru
Yar'Adua.
Jonathan described the campaign as a ''genuine attempt to re-orientate Nigeria t
owards believing in themselves once again...and to change
the perception of the country both locally and internationally''.
Information and Communications Minister Dora Akunyili, who initiated the campaig
n, said it would take the best of the past efforts to change
the widespread negative perception of Nigeria, due to the activities of a few Ni
gerians who engage in unwholesome activities at home and
around the world.
The most recent campaign, tagged Nigeria: Heart of Africa, was deemed a failure
especially because the ''Heart of Africa'' catchphrase was not
original and also due to the fact that it was launched abroad, during the immedi
ate past administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Akunyili, who successfully led the campaign to drastically reduce fake and adult
erated drugs during her days as head of the country's food and drug
administration and control agency, said though the 'journey' to re-brand Nigeria
would not be easy, it must be embarked upon.
''Today as a nation, we begin a new journey...at re-defining our nation and re-e
xamining our values,'' she said, describing the campaign as a renewed
effort to repair the country's image, a journey that must be undertaken as a nat
ion and as a people.
''This journey will be slow and painfiul...but we will be a better nation tomorr
ow,'' she added.
The re-branding campaign has been widely criticised in the local media as anothe
r spending spree aimed at frittering away the nation's scarce resources,
after it emerged that the previous campaigns gulped millions of dollars without
a commensurate result.
Critics also charge that a nation lacking in modern infrastructure, purposeful l
eadership and a culture of free and fair elections, among others, should not
waste funds in re-branding.
But the Minister, while acknowledging the criticisms, said: ''Nigeria cannot wai
t until solving all its problems before repairing its image'', adding: ''Our dev
e
lopment is tied to our image.''
She also promised that the current campaign would be different, in that it would
be people-oriented and would involve the younger generation of Nigerians throug
h
the formation of 're-branding clubs' in schools.
Akunyili also said the campaign would be transparent as all its expenditures wou
ld be published in local newspapers twice yearly, while Nigerians would be hired
as consultants.
The Minister described the slogan and logo as ''a new tool to light the way forw
ard in the re-branding campaign.''
Former Nigerian head of state, retired army general Yakubu Gowon, presided at th
e well-attended ceremony.
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| Abuja - 17/03/2009 |
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