Expert canvasses promotion of Brand Nigeria

MARKETING communications practitioner and Group Chief Executive Officer of Prima Garnet Africa, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, has stated that despite the scathing criticisms and negative remarks that had been a lot of Brand Nigeria in recent times, the brand still has a lot of positive attributes that can successfully market it to the outside world.

While arguing that the Nigerian brand must indeed be projected, the former Chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), in a Keynote Address, tagged: The Imperatives of Projecting and Managing Brand Nigeria, delivered at the 2018 Marketing Conference of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN),  identified the country’s huge population of over 170 million people as a factor that should greatly enhance the equity of Brand Nigeria.

According to him, a population that makes everyone in six Africans a Nigerian remains one of those salient factors that would attract the brand to any investor, either foreign or local, and enhance sales, if well harnessed.

Mr. Akinwunmi argued that the nation’s huge endowment in natural resources, which makes it the 10th largest producer and 8th largest exporter of crude oil, with significant gas and other natural resources, is another factor that the Nigerian brand must project to enable it to move to the next level.

The Prima Garnet boss, also stated that besides boasting of a huge profile of being the largest economy on the continent, the incredibly creative and talented human capital that had manifested globally in the stars like Wole Soyinka, Philip Emegwali and Chinua Achebe remains another factor that could be used to shore up the nation’s dwindling image before the outside world.

“Our creative arts rule the whole continent by far. Our Nollywood is ranked third in terms of prolific output, and our music industry entertains the world. Add fashion to it and we have so many prospects indeed,” he stated.

He also noted that the array of Nigerian professionals,  especially doctors and other scientists, and even lecturers, working in foreign lands, remains a critical selling point for whoever wants to launder the image of the country and market the brand to the outside world.

Mr. Akinwunmi also identified the country’s global commitment to world peace in view of its historical participation in the UN and ECOWAS Peace- Keeping projects as another positive attribute that clearly negates the erroneous impression being created about the country.

According to him, that the country had played historical roles in the emancipation of the countries of Southern Africa and her prowess and exploits in the sporting world are some of the brand enhancement attributes that should be projected about Nigeria.

He believes the nation’s achievement in education, has also left no one in doubt about her huge potential.“For instance, no other ethnic group comes close to the Nigerian record of the holders of first and higher degrees. Indeed, in a course like Pharmacy, Nigerians are far ahead of everyone,” the former APCON boss argued.

While expressing regrets that despite all these huge opportunities and potential, Brand Nigeria still remains one of the world’s most battered brands, Mr. Akinwunmi, however, called for conscious and concerted efforts among stakeholders towards the successful building of the brand.

In his welcome address, the institute’s president, Mr. Tony Agenmonmen urged the federal government to set up Team Marketing Nigeria to enable it successfully drive the rebranding Nigeria process.

He added that the team, which should comprise marketing and marketing communications experts in the private sector and knowledgeable people in government will be responsible for the strategic design of a new Ministry of Marketing, in replacement of the current Ministry of Information, National Orientation and other ministries, not helping the rebranding Nigeria cause.

Giving reasons for the institute’s decision to tag this year’s edition of the conference, Marketing Nigeria, Agenmonmen explained that it was borne out of the need, for the institute, to join others in the task of repositioning Brand Nigeria.

According to the NIMN boss, Nigeria remains a brand, which marketing principles that apply in ordinary day Marketing should also be applied to market.