Rebranding Nigeria Project

Beddes and Grosset Webster define brand as trademark; a particular make or kind of goods. Therefore, branding is essentially about products; and a communications function of design, packaging and publicity.

The Nigeria rebranding project therefore is out of focus and faulty and requires urgent redefinition of the entire process. Rebranding in the context of the Nigeria experience should focus on our national identity, which in this instance are our products. Our national identity includes and not limited to our national anthem, flag, name of country, currency, crest and emblems, uniforms of our police and armed forces, our national colours etc.

It is after the completion of the rebranding process that publicity and public relations commences. It is during this process that image laundering, and to put more aptly, 'social re-engineering' can be introduced. As it is practiced now, we are simply putting the cart before the horse. We need to re-align the process with international best practices.

Popular opinion is against the 'Rebranding Nigeria' project as it is currently practiced. Though 'social re-engineering' should be an integral part of the rebranding project, it is believed that the process of governance should be seen to have purged itself of its bad past of corruption, lack of integrity and bad governance, which have been identified as the root cause of our slow development, youths restiveness, incessant strike actions and sectionalism in the body polity.

The Ministry of Information is currently expending tremendous time, resources and energy in driving the rebranding project. They mean well but their energy is directed at a totally wrong concept. With just a little process re-definition, I believe they will get it right.