FG May Rethink Brand Nigeria Project as ARCON Begins Conference

Raheem Akingbolu

After two attempts under the current democratic dispensation to rebrand Nigeria and accelerate her development through foreign investment and tourism, indications emerged on Monday this week that the federal government may take another shot at the Brand Nigeria project to serve as stimulus for economic recovery.  

Speaking at the unveiling of ‘Brand Nigeria Committee’ and other committees to herald the 2023 National Advertising Conference, slated for first week in December, the Director-General, Advertising Council of Nigeria, ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo dropped the hint that experts in the marketing communications industry would use the conference to analyze Nigeria as a brand and device a campaign aimed at enhancing the country’s image on the international stage.

Since the return to civil rule in 1999, Nigeria has witnessed a revamping of image laundering in the country as exemplified by the Heart of Africa and Image Re-branding policies of the Obasanjo (1999-2007) and Yar’Adua (2007-2010) administrations, respectively. The Yar’adua image re-branding project was the most comprehensive and expensive nation-branding initiative yet. It had the motto “Nigeria: Good People, Great Nation” and was aimed at “accelerating Nigeria’s development through foreign investment and tourism.” 

Announcing the theme for the 2023 conference, Chairman, organising committee, Tunji Adeyinka, said the theme: “Marketing Communications as an Enabler for National Transformation” has been strategically selected to be deliberated upon at this year’s conference. He noted that the conference would be unique because it targets two primary purposes; address Brand Nigeria project and Advertising’s contribution to GDP and multiplier project.

His words: “The National Advertising Conference is not just a talk-shop, it builds on specific assignments from past editions. This year’s NAC is unique because it is exploring two assignments from the 2022 edition; the Brand Nigeria project and the Contribution to GDP and multiplier project. These are two concrete assignments that would be presented at plenary in NAC 2023.”

The conference according to the Adeyinka, “is going to be symbolic with the quality of industry players pulled from the different sectoral bodies of the nation’s advertising industry to deliberate on the theme of the event”

“Its aim is to meet the demands of the present economy and communicate for a positive change in the brand world and in the business goals of clients thereby, giving a boost to the dwindling national economy.