UYO URBAN RESIDENT’S PERCEPTION OF REBANDING NIGERIA PROJECT

UYO URBAN RESIDENT’S PERCEPTION OF REBANDING NIGERIA PROJECT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Many Nigerians are not enthusiastic about the image laundering project Rebranding Nigerian of the Federal Government.

The Widespread view is that the campaign tagged GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT NATION, speak headed by information and communication minister, Dora Akunyili, might not achieve its desired aim report published in newspaper and magazines have either supported reports in the punch newspaper of 1^st April, 2009 edition. The commentator stressed that the Nigerian people have always been good people from a great nation, except for “our” bad leaders that need absolute rebranding. In supporting this view, Aregbeshola (2009) believes that Nigerian’s images can only be improved when both the leaders and followers begin to do what is right. He maintains thus;

But until then, any campaign aim at improving Nigeria’s image would be an exercise in futility and a sheer waste of human and material resources, (Aregbeshola, 2009, 9,1) the broadcast media are not left out in the campaign as network news time are been devoted to the campaign.

At inception in April, 2009, Professor Akunyili had said that the campaign is a Nigerian project for Nigerians and that it would make no sense to take it abroad. But barely a month after the minister said Nigeria would rely on internal assistance to prosecute the project, she was soliciting Britain’s support for the success of the campaign. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), professor Akunyili told the visiting British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Bob Dewar, that the country was counting on their (Britain) support in the rebranding journey. She stated that Nigeria is doing what is just and best for the generations yet unborn (Odeshola, 2009).

The most logical question asked in several quarter is the country is: why is Nigeria rebranded? Akinyih in Obiola (2009) says that Nigeria needs a rebranding in view of the negative and unfair way Nigeria have been perceived both at home and in abroad.

However, some Nigerians who are optimistic about the campaign are of the opinion that it is a good start. Thus, Adeloye (2009) believes that there hope of an effective branding since  on outsider can do it well or better than Nigerians from the foreign, it can be inferred that while the campaign has been subjected to a barrage of attacks in some quarters, other commentators are simply holding the view that the campaign should be supported unequivocally by all and sundry.

It is against the background that this intends to investigate Uyo Urban resident’s perception of the rebranding Nigeria Project with the view to ascertaining their attitudes towards the campaign.

• Background of the Study

At the moment someone can deny the fact that Nigeria has a better National image. There have report in the past that as soon as Nigerian travels to any other country in the world an identify himself as a Nigerian either by his green passport or a verbal affirmation, he or she automatically becomes a “suspect” for various type of wrong behavior, including criminal actions.

Sometimes Nigerian travelling abroad are said to be subjected to rigorous body searches and asked all manner of questions whilst nationals of other nations are smoothly welcomed into that country.

According to Ozekliome (2009, p.3), Nigerians are generally perceived as corrupt, selfish, noisy, criminally minded and dubious set of people, before the international community internet of images of foreign expatriate held hostage by money seeking and gun welding militants in the Greeks of the Niger Delta region of the country is also not helping matters.

Abiola (2009) in his appraisal states that the situation is too bad that it was recently reported that those who killed the South Africa reggae star, Lucky Dube, thought that he was Nigerian; it is in a bid to correct this negative perception of Nigerian that Akunyih has come up with the idea of rebranding the country. The project, she says, would make appreciate themselves and the country.

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