of endorsements and branding

There is this theory of endorsement, simply put if someone we admire, love or like says something or advocates something, we tend to also like or advocate the same view. Ie Dbanj likes coke, maybe we will like coke if Obama likes Coke, and definitely we would love coke. .
They also say a picture speaks a thousand words, true, that’s why we love pictures at wedding, and graduations. That’s why every major event has a Photo Op, e.g. the moon landing, the Olympic games the Arab Israeli peace signing ceremony on the white house lawn. How much would a picture of you and Dbanj cost? What of you and Obama? Priceless abi?

A state visit, specifically a state visit by the US president is the grand slam of endorsements. You get the US president, the most powerful man in the world to say, “this is my friend in whom I am well pleased”, it’s just the sort of thing Nigeria needs now as we are rebranding.

So why is Obama going to Ghana, yes Accra and not Abuja for his first state visit to Black Africa? Simple, Nigeria as a county is now an embarrassment to the black race. Kalu that is harsh, an embarrassment? The giant of Africa an embarrassment? The largest democracy in black Africa? The nation that brought down Apartheid in South Africa? The Nation that resorted peace to Liberia and Sierra Leone? the largest oil producer in Africa? Kalu how are we an embarrassment? Well just look at the headlines recently allow me;

1. INEC fumbles an election in a tiny state in a tiny ward; this is with the Inspector General of Police in attendance. Police then arrest INEC official over N250 million bribe scandal, (alleged) the REC resigns and retakes her appointment, a political party accused of “donating” money to NYSC corpers who conducted the election (alleged).
2. The Senate committee of power is arrested for fraud in rural electrification programme; this is the committee investigating the $16 (or$6b) NIPP scandal. 158 contracts awarded in one day and N5.2billion paid in one day! (alleged)
3. The NDIC MD is accused of defrauding a failed bank, yes the NDIC entrusted with protecting banks is caught in a failed bank scandal involving Fortune Bank (alleged).
4. Fuel lines
5. Halliburton Scandal
6. Niger Delta Militancy
If you were Obama would you come to Nigeria Now?
Make no mistake America is sending us a message. At the same time Ribadu has been invited to speak to the US congressional committee on financial services on the devastating effects of corruption. The man the administration has declared wanted is invited to speak to the US congress; go figure. I read that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Senate Chairman on Foreign affairs went to the US to book an appointment to see Yaradua; they did not even get to see Mrs. Clinton.

Nigeria has certainly slid down in influence n Africa. Once Nigeria supported the MPLA in Angola against the UNITA of the US, and MPLA won! Now we can’t even release our hostages held by Somalia prates for almost two years now. We were snubbed for the G20, can’t get a Nigerian elected as MD to the African Development Bank ADB. On the business side Nestle is moving their regional head office to Ghana, Michelin and Dunlop have pulled out, even the super eagles are no longer number 1 in Africa.

We need to do something; we have to regain our Mojo, our confidence, our oomph. It has to start with basic things on the ground, simple things like clearing garbage from the streets, enforcing traffic rules, can we be bold as to ask for power ie light? We have to stop looking for foreign investors in London, and Finland etc and come home and fix PHCN. There is a lot of work to do, and you can only rebrand, when there is actually is a brand. If I said NIGERIA, what single word would come to our mind?
In the end it’s our problem and we can fix it