I had two great meetings yesterday, one was the Future Movement’s steering committee meeting, and the other one was a New Nigeria Club Online Conference. I’m so thrilled at the key issues we were able to trash out in both meetings yesterday. I’m particularly impressed with how much we are achieving with the online conferences, technology is sure making things easier.
There was an interesting eye opener during the NNC online conference though, and I think it’s an idea I should quickly bring back on board and re-communicate. With so many great heads brainstorming together, we were able to obtain a good variation of personalizing our issues with our leaders’ name concept. I was thrilled with the additions and have decided to capture it as Rebranding Nigeria, Reloaded! Rather than sound abusive or use words that might ultimately lead us nowhere, we have decided to add an interesting positive tweak to the personifications. Here are the thoughts.
1. Rather than make careless and unguarded statements, we have decided to end every comment with a prayer for the personified issue. Here are a few examples.
For Electricity which has been christened Yaradua.
Yaradua has not be constant in my area, May God help Yaradua.
May these issues with Yaradua in Nigeria come to a permanent end.
The absence of Yaradua is creating troubles for Nigerian business community, May God help Yaradua and help us.
We figured that it might be pointless to just keep on stating the facts without making any comments that can help us change. It seems a good idea then, to identify the problem, and still put our leaders in prayers to God, that they will get help and make use of it. This way as well, we get to have many people praying for our leaders, and many people eager to have change.
2. Rather than allow everybody to say anything in the name of personification, and to avoid lack of consistency.
We have also decided to craft a Wordbank. This will identify who to personify as what issue, and ensure a consistency. It will also define the parameters for using any statement. One of the key parameters for adopting a word for example is that it should be capable of showing negative when bad, and positive when good.
For example, if we say Yaradua = Electric Light from NEPA grids, then when there is no light, the comments will sound negative, and once it starts getting fixed, the comments become positive. We cannot afford to use a word, that will still connote negative even when things are changing for the better. If someone is personified with scam for example, when scams become a thing of the past, will we say that the person has been eradicated? Hence the good term to personify will be anti-scam and in most cases the good term to personify will be the positive things. The things that if fixed has the capacity to immortalize the person.
Since Nigeria’s number one PR problem is scam, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to Christen our minister of information anti-scam. So that for example, people can embark on a Dora campaign, we can complain about how ineffective the Dora campaign has been, and how people are making Dora’s work painful. It can also help us pray for Dora, that she’ll be able to put an end to this plague. So that when things begging to progress, we can say that Dora is winning at last. Up Dora, Nigeria is a great country again!
I think the key word here is, let’s only personalize the positive. Any thoughts or word samples you can give in this area are welcome.
3. Online Scam is a Real Menace.
It’s a real menace every Nigerian must be passionately against and passionately reveal. I also feel the law enforcement agents need to be educated, cos there are also legitimate people who do business online, and they need to know the difference. We must not take half measures as this is currently the external perception of our nation. Kayode, brought it to my understanding that 99% of the time the word Nigeria is used on twitter, it’s connected to scam! I recommend that we move a motion to the senate, on way forward and strong consequencies for scamming. I also think New Nigeria Club can pick up some of Kayode’s recommendations (he’s one of us) and pull it together. We need to chase those crazy bad eggs out of town!
Rather than make positive comments alone, I’ll really appreciate if we can use this post as a dumping ground for our thoughts and ideas on the wordbank, and sample statements we can make that won’t make us appear rude, rebellious or less passionate about the future of our country than we are. If it has to be, it’s up to us.
@ NIMMO
I got the correct URL already. Thanks
@ N.I.M.M.O.
You are really venting o! Take it easy o bros!
@ All.
Let me speak that I may be relieved
1. We have a problem, let’s not act as if it doesn’t exist. It’s folly in the ostrich to try and hide itself from it’s problems by closing it’s eyes. Just last year, our only VISA free country started requiring VISA’s from us. We are VISA free to no country, and for perspective, South Africa is VISA free to about 95.
2. We are on the black list of a few countries. The countries mandate their immigration departments to do a double search on Nigerians. I have been on many queues in international airports where all passports pass, but mine needs a microscope.
3. What we are up against is not a battle we can win as individuals we must act collectively, the fact that I have many foreign contacts that trust me, still does not preclude the fact that they think I’m a special breed of a corrupt race.
4. About issues, no matter how thin we cut it, it always has two sides. But as with all lasting solutions, it’s inside-out. If we fix the inside, the outside will be easy. Internally, we need to chase out our crazy bad eggs, we need to be seen to be taking the few miscreants to justice. Not celebrating “mugu don pay” with hallelujah shouts or glorifying “yahoozee”. We need to make our statements internally, make a few people scape goats, and let the world see that our policies and police do not support or condone these few. In the bear palour act of war, the man that takes a bottle and first cuts himself, announces to his opponent, that he is committed! With our eyes on the internal, we need to look at the external as well. One of reasons we created the New Nigeria Club was so that we can cultivate a base where by association we can begin to collectively let the world know that there are New and good Nigerians.
5. Our people in Diaspora are really trying, and we need to support them from home here. They stomach a lot of rubbish from a lot of people. Imagine the fact that the average person on the internet has received one mail before from someone claiming to be a Nigerian trying to dupe him. They don’t know where Nigeria is, they don’t know what side of the world even Africa is, but they know two things about Nigeria… a footballer, and an email. Externally we need to do a lot of work to showcase our great people, our great characters and achievements and make a firm statement about our views about scammers.
6. I’ll rather Nigeria has the top 100 scammers in the world, and no more. Than almost a million jobless graduates and students, who think a fast way to make it in life is hang around a cafe, day and night, hoping that one day.. maga or mugu will pay. A South African associate I met in Egypt was joking with me that he thinks someone needs to start a school of scamming in Nigeria… but that the first thing people will discover after paying their school fees is that the school was all a scam… that will be lesson 1. Irritating conversations and jokes we get to hear from time to time. It’s their fault and it’s not their fault. I have always learnt that you never solve a problem by focusing on someone else, you solve it, by asking what can I do differently.
Let’s put our energies together.. NIMMO, Kay, Biddy, Ifects, Omooba and all… let’s create a new identity for ourselves and our nation, and celebrate the people that have made us proud. Let’s educate the world about how Nigeria really is, and be it’s ambassadors within our spheres of influence. It’s not all about profit, it’s values. And no matter how great the deal looks, being a Nigerian is a show stopper for many companies and countries today. We can’t change it all in one day… but we can start, and our end can be guaranteed.
@ Deolu, Truth talk.personally, i and my familyhave gone through a lot outside the country because we are Nigerians..There was a particular case, i can never forget..after being subjected to a search at one country’s airport..My daughters were told to remove their socks and belts as we were taken aside, by the time we got to another screening point..my young daughter that was 3 years old at that time, started taking off her stuff without being told, it was not required at this point but the experience of the first screen had conditioned her mind to that!..sad..sad..sad! Trinidad and Tobago a third world country like ours..with Nigeria being more endowed..will take Nigerians through hell literarily because you want to get a visa! all because of a few bad people..The only help from Nigeria is from God as we have been labelled by others but God has a good name for us..then those of us that have the platform to let people know that we are a different breed of Nigerians, should keep doing it until we are made a praise amongst the Nations of the earth!
@Deolu: I really cannot resist this parting shot much as I tried. This is my take:
These people know Wole Soyinka, they know Philip Emegweali, they know Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, they know Chinua Achebe, they know Nwankwo Kanu, they know Austin Jay Jay Okocha, they know Deolu Akinyemi and the thousands of hard working Nigerians who run the academics and economies in their own home countries, yet all they can compare you with is a faceless email from someone who may or may not even be Nigerian?
Nigeria e je ka ro’nu. (Let us think)
Why don’t they call us a Nation of Nobel Laureates or Football Wizards or Fathers of the Internet’. Nobody will credit you with the good you have done (except when they want to collect your money). Self promotion is the key. Like the lizard said, ‘If you don’t praise yourself, nobody will’.
Let us stop apologizing. Nigeria has done nothing wrong!
@ Papa Emmanuel..Your sister dey Kampe!, as a Missionary, the wind blows in so many directions where i cannt get on the net sometimes! lol..any ways nice to know someone out here notices my disappearing and reappearing acts!!! lol
@ Deolu
Heavy Words there.
@ All
To change Nigeria, I must first change myself. Create a new identity for myself. Change my family and the people around me. Then my family and the people around me with myself can go ahead to change our neighbourhood then our state and then our nation.
The change must come from Inside – Out. That is why the bible says after you have received power for yourself, then you shall be His witness in Jerusalem (local), in all Judea and Samaria (national), and to the ends of the earth (international). Acts 1:8.
Chairman, your round-up on this is quite fitting. Those who are doing good should continue – we will get there!
And for the traitors among us, they will get to their destination too. It’s a matter of sawing and reaping.
We wont stop doing our best with integrity and honesty. We have to pull together to bring about a positve change, inside-out!
God bless Nigeria
WOW! See passion! I’m sure that if we harness the energy generated from all these comments we wont be needing any Yaradua from the national grid to sustain our economy.
We need to understand that we have an image problem with the world. Despite the many good people in this country, some bad eggs have certainly cut us a bad image. We cant run away from that. We cannot do the work of rebranding Nigeria in isolation. No individual effort can make much difference except we all work together. Agbajowo la fin soya. I’m a strong advocate of critical mass and once we can achieve critical mass with our individual efforts we can be sure there will be change.
We must also know that lasting change can only begin internally. No external change will last if we dont provide an internal structure that can sustain it.
God bless!
its so sad to all of us as nigerians that the president of the most populous black nation in the world wasnt invited to the just concluded G-20 summit.What that means is that we as a people dont have anything to contribute to the world, and being frank, we dont have the qualification to be there without mincing words.sometimes, i just feel like giving up on naija because of how worse things keep getting but there is always something telling me to just keep on being my best that someday we will get there.
for like minded people like me,please remember that there is hope for the nation.God bless naija
@Deolu Akinyemi: Those were thoughtful comments from you.
@All: Let’s all work on ourselves inside-out.Let’s not put a new wine in an old wine skin.No matter what they call us,we are who we call ourselves.Nigerians,think!
i totally support deolu on this one jare! at least NBC woke to banning a music by a very popular young musician. others should some hammer too. thanks
re branding Nigeria is a broad terms. it spreads to even environmental issues like degradation and the likes. Nigeria’s re-branding cannot be done in isolation of an urban renewal programme designed to make the nation’s towns and cities aesthetically appealing and habitable. There are more shanties and slum dwelling areas in the country than there are of regenerated settlements. Few towns like Benin City, Abuja, Abeokuta, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Kano as well the Federal Capital City, have master plans…THISDAY NEWSPAPER 02 052009.
rebranding is a project every Nigerian must embrace.rebranding is generic and include self-identity,attitudinal re-orientation, cultural regeneration. Nigeria is a grat nation.there is no too ways about, but I want to appeal to fellow compatriots that until we see ourselves as such nobody will see us as a great nation.we are good people leaving in a great nation.lets stop henceforth corrupt practicee and other compromises.please, fellow Nigerian be the change you want to see in your country. Thank you. UBONG DAVID, NATIONAL PRESIDENT, REBRANDING NIGERIA YOUTH INITIATIVE, 40 RCC ROAD, EKET,AKWA IBOM STATE. 08027657015
Hey – whats up. Thanks for the blog. I’ve been digging around for info, but i think i’m getting lost!. Yahoo lead me here – good for you i suppose! Keep up the good work. I will be coming back in a few days to see if there is any more info.
Yaradua: For the Sake of your health, and your family, quit governance because I love u and I wish You Long Life of sound Health, prosperity and Goodwill.
Hi!. Thanks a bunch for the blog. I’ve been digging around looking some info up for shool, but there is so much out there. Google lead me here – good for you i suppose! Keep up the good work. I will be coming back over here in a couple of days to see if there is updated posts.
iam de national president of de rebranding nigeria youth initiative[campus base] i am a student of Alvan ikoku Federal College Of Educcation Owerri,Imo sstate.my phone number is +2347069266792 0706926679.email go4rebranding@yahoo.com We started our operaration in Imo state since early this yr 2009 in n secondary schools and tetiary insittutions,but we want to extend this to other secondary schools,tetiaries and other states of the federation.contact us today through the phone number and the email addrss above
re-branding nigeria is like a theorical thing, which is very diferent form practical thing. it is possibe to use an emply hand to cut down iroko tree within a second, we want to rebrand in the misdt of hunger, poverty, illiteracy or ignorance. if people can not make ends meet legally, they make it meet illegally. our leaders know what they are doing. it is the rich people that travel abroad. They know the masses in Nigeria cannot do them anything, but the international community will not forgive them, they should reap what they sow abroad. The leaders in other countries made their people discipline through given them their rights and spending the countrys resource to the satisfaction of their people.
i believe in changes but changes does not occure without practical efforts that yelds conctrete structures that are capable of removing poverty, ignorance and sufferings from our country.
I agree with Salawu on what he said and i quote “re-branding nigeria is like a theorical thing, which is very diferent form practical thing”.