The minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said the federal government remains committed to reshaping the global perception of Nigeria through a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Reputation Management Group (NRMG).
Idris, who stated this yesterday in Abuja, at the unveiling of the NRMG, said the initiative aims to highlight and showcase Nigeria’s authentic identity, achievements, and strengths while emphasising the country’s economic progress and potential.
He said that by leveraging the NRMG’s expertise, the government will amplify the diverse voices of Nigerians while celebrating the country’s culture, innovation, and contributions on the global stage, saying this aligns with the vision of promoting Nigeria’s positives while fostering unity and national pride.
“The Nigeria Reputation Management Group will play a pivotal role in promoting and changing the global perception of our dear country, by showcasing and highlighting our true identity, achievements, strengths and positives, while also amplifying the voices of our various peoples.
“To accomplish this, the Group will build strategic partnerships and collaborations with stakeholders across various sectors, including government, private industry, civil society, the media, and youth organisations, within and outside the country,” he stated.
The minister said the unveiling of the NRMG, a brainchild of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), marks a significant step forward in the nation’s collective resolve to redefine itself as a people as well as harnessing its brand reputation as one of its core assets, which is more often than not, ignored while computing the country’s primary assets.
“As you’re all aware, a country’s brand reputation is one of its core assets, alongside its financial, natural and mineral resources. However, the intangibility of brand reputation means that it is often not reckoned with or grossly underestimated in the accounting of a country’s primary assets. This dismissive mindset is what the NIPR seeks to challenge, through the NRMG,” he said.
As these positive influences accumulate, Idris added, they create a virtuous cycle, which would further enhance Nigeria’s attractiveness and position it as a destination of choice for even more opportunities.
“In the area of culture, for example, Nigeria has one of the strongest brands in the world, especially on account of our music and our literature. Our films, fashion, and food are also making impressive strides, and with more intentional support, can conquer the world just as boldly as our music is doing,” he stated.
The minister stated that to establish a strong platform for Nigeria’s positive emergence on the global stage, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing far-reaching economic reforms to create a more enabling environment, opening up numerous opportunities for Nigerians to thrive and attain prosperity.
He said so far, the reforms are manifesting in attaining local government autonomy, implementation of a new national minimum wage, setting up of a consumer credit scheme, and student loan scheme as well as improvement in agriculture and security.
Idris stated that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) is taking the lead in reorienting the nation’s values system through programmes such as the National Values Charter, as a home-grown mechanism designed to reinforce positive values and attitudes among Nigerians, thereby improving the country’s reputation domestically.
Dignitaries at the unveiling ceremony include the minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu; former ministers of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; Frank Nweke Junior; Alhaji Lai Mohammed and president of NIPR, Dr. Ike Neliaku.
