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EDITORIAL         Business Times   Headlines   Lagos Weekend   Saturday Times   Sporting Times   Sunday Times   Times Home Studies   Times Review     The Nation   Politics   World Digest   Marketing   Business   Health   Sports   Corrections     Editorials   Op-Ed   Readers' Letters     Beauty   Books   Cartoons   Education   Environment   Events   Fashion   Fitness   Jobs   Junior Times   Homes   Leisure   Living   Magazine   Movies   Photos   Property   Security   Shopping   Taste   Travel   Workplace    GUEST BOOK  CHAT ROOM CONTACTS:   CEO   Editor   Advertising   Info   Sales GUESTBOOK | CHATROOM | SEARCH DAILY TIMES:   powered by FreeFind On the Nigeria Image Project   At a Presidential Forum organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation penultimate week in Abuja for captains of industry in the country, President Olusegun Obasanjo said N600 million was approved in this year�s budget for the purpose of promoting the country�s image which, he noted, "has been battered at home and abroad more by our own mishandling and mismanagement than by anything else�" The adverse effect of the nation�s bad image, the President affirms, has been telling on Nigeria and Nigerians, especially with their being stereotyped as corrupt, cheats, drug addicts and fraudsters. Unfortunately, the President wrongly assumes that "a section of our media and some Nigerian citizens based on ignorance or mischief" are responsible for the nation�s bad image, because of their, as he puts it, "celebrated propagation of whatever was negative and against the country�s positive things about us." Even though the need for caution from the media cannot be over-emphasised, we assert that theirs have been a representation, almost always, of happenings in the country. If, therefore, it has been �negative�, as it is alleged, perhaps there is need for more �positive� actions from the government. This is so because it is outright mischief to project negative things when they are positively done or to expect one burdened with bad governance to present a good image of oneself. Just as we are, however, tempted to commend the Federal Government for the obviously belated realisation of the image problem of the country, we are constrained to observe that it is not all a function of "our own mishandling" as the President would alleged. Even as we are in support of the need to systematically project the positive aspects of the country to the outside world, we do not see how this task can be effectively accomplished through the approval of N600 million for the Image Project. Instead, it amounts to excellent diagnosis mirred in repulsive prescriptions the type that has dogged the nation for decades. The effort itself seems mechanical. However, it is at best preposterous to think that it is the responsibility of government alone to project the image of a nation, the way the Federal Ministry of Information has been burdened to do through its Nigeria Monthly publication. Everybody needs to, and should be an image projection resource person in a country. Unfortunately, most Nigerians do not see any connection between them and the government as to make them to give a hoot about whatever image it portrays. What with the suffusing poverty and hunger in the land. This should not be so. The citizens of a country ought to be properly empowered and energised and not enervated, through good governance in order to be effectively mobilised for the image projection job. We, therefore, call on government to ensure that even as it seeks to boost and project the image of the nation beyond the negative characterisations it has been subjected to for years now, it should endeavour to make the citizens feel more the tangible impact of its actions and programmes. Besides, we wish to point out to government that it can go beyond just approving funds to a ministry for the purpose of image projection. This measure would not have a long lasting impact, neither would it be sustainable. It should rather make the environment more conducive for the flourishing of those unsung elements that have boosted the image of the nation even when little or no attention at all has been shown by government. For instance, the Nigerian home movie industry popularly known as Nollywood and entertainment sector possess the potentials of transforming the image of the nation better if properly supported. Government should, therefore, encourage investment in these sectors and not just in the oil industry alone, because they have dual potentials of attracting foreign earnings and boosting the image of the country. Also, we are at pains that sport, which is known as a big image booster worldwide is in a progressive decline in the country today, without much attention being paid by government beyond rhetorics. Nonetheless, we demand a judicious expenditure of the approved Image Project vote from the Federal Ministry of Information. We hope it will not be another opportunity for providing jobs for the boys. Unfortunately, we do not think that the amount approved is enough for the task ahead. However, government should be reminded that it has got more to do than approving money for projects, which most often have gone to service a few personal needs. It needs to give more in terms of providing good and exemplary governance for the citizens.

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