Wednesday, October 16, 2024 - The Minister of Information and National
Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has cautioned Nigerians against making negative
remarks about Nigeria.
Idris gave the caution when he spoke at the official unveiling of the
Nigeria Reputation Management Group (NMRG) at a programme organised by the
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)in Abuja on October 15.
Idris said a strong national brand would attract talent, tourists, and
investors, which would further strengthen the country and position it to
attract even more positives.
He, however, said a weak national brand would prevent opportunities to
secure further foreign direct investments from willing investors especially if
Nigerians continued to write and say negative things about the country.
“This brings me to the way Nigerians talk about their country. We are
the ones striving for foreign direct investments to come into our land. On the
other hand, we are very quick to say all those things that will drive away
investors and those who want to identify with us.
We must find a way to strike a true balance, especially for the media to
report accurately, objectively, and with a sense of patriotism towards their
country. I have always said that you can’t promote your country negatively
while downplaying the positives. Therefore, there is a need to always promote
our national image in a positive light.
A strong national asset attracts talents, tourists, and investors. These
combinations will, in turn, further strengthen the country. The reverse is also
true; a weak national brand discourages investments and talents, depriving a
country of what it needs for national development.” he said
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