March 30, 2012

Nigerian government and people have been called upon to buy into the concept of nation rebranding and affirm the idea.

Speaking recently at the Verdant Zeal Fifth Anniversary and First Innovention Lecture, the Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi addressed the audience on “Nigeria’s Global Image and competitiveness”.

Governor Amaechi says Nigerians sense of aculturisation is strong but Nigerians must be ready to be pragmatic and deliberate in the act of nation branding.

Governor Amaechi who stated that “hunger “is responsible for numerous accidental successes of the celebrated aspects of the nation such as Nollywood, also maintained that in nation branding, there must be a set objective and a substance being branded.

Adding that the incumbent government in Rivers State has tirelessly combated the issues of insecurity, poor Education, healthcare challenges, and several other confrontations in infrastructural developments, Governor Amaechi holds that the perception of Port-Harcourt city is yet to be changed until the investments in power and water supply within the state are actualized.

He says rather than good governance, through the Rule of Law, democratization can be more achieved in nation branding.

But while fielding a question on the reported dissension in the Governors Forum over revenue sharing formular, he says the development we see goes to the heart of our federalism debate where a Federal government which has no land for development continues to hold the ace when it comes to economic development in the states.