Kunle Yusuf to launch new book January

Yusuf

Nigeria’s image laundering projects have been revisited through a book, Appraisal of the Rebranding campaign of the Federal Government of Nigeria, by Kunle Yusuf, lead consultant, Above Media.

The book’s launch holds next year January in Lagos.

The book examines the image crisis in Nigeria, attempts in laundering this image via rebranding, the kind of reactions that the rebranding elicited and a prognosis on what could be done. This is however against the background of the image crisis the country suffered between 1993 and 1999.

According to Yusuf who is presently a PhD student of Public Affairs and Administration, Walden University, the image crisis during that period was largely attributed to Nigeria’s lack of democratic progress.

While arguing that the rebranding campaign seemed to be more of a cosmetic remedy, the author recommends, among other panaceas, that beyond sloganeering, Nigeria’s government needs to address the issues that gave rise to the image crisis in the first instance. This is the only way Nigeria can get out of the image quagmire.

A brand must be able to deliver on it promises, Yusuf posited. Has the country as a brand delivered on its promises of being a great nation? The above position and query summarises the skepticism which the rebranding programmes of the past and successive governments are anchored on. The rebranding project is important to the extent that a nation’s foreign image is a major index in judging her standing vis-à-vis other nations. To that extent therefore, the rebranding project of this administration, Change Begins With Me, was not only commendable but worthwhile. But then some questions need be asked: How did Nigeria acquire for herself an image crisis?  What has been the success of the rebranding project so far?

In the 123-page book, Yusuf traces back the image crisis of the country to after independence. Nigerians had the picture of a positive image for Nigeria in the 60s. Under General Murtala Mohammed, the country’s image soared high in the world and Nigeria indeed assumed the proper role of Africa’s leader. Her views were always sought on African affairs even by the former colonizers.

According to Yusuf, in 1980s and 1990s, Nigeria’s image deteriorated. What could have brought this about for a nation which in the 70s was practically the toast of the international community?

The book offers explanations for the negative image, arguing that the negative image of Nigeria was part of the biases of the global system towards the African continent. We need, however, divert attention from the negative activities of a few bad eggs giving Nigeria a bad name and extol our virtues, he concluded.