By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Federal Government has warned Nigerians against making comments capable of casting the country in a bad light.
The government noted that making persistent negative comments about the country has the implication of scaring away potential investors and tourists.
The Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, raised these concerns in Abuja at the official unveiling of the Nigeria Reputation Management Group at a programme organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
Idris noted that the country could only boost its Foreign Direct Investment through the influx of willing investors who see opportunities to be exploited in our land.
He said:”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.”
His sentiments were shared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who also called for caution.
Tuggar advised that the world is in an era of fake information and that whatever certain people project about their country couldn’t be taken as fact.
The minister also criticised Sunday’s viral reports that maintained Nigeria was ‘snubbed’ in the recent election of 18 member states to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term.
He said, “Today, we are looking at national reputation management. We live in an era where information travels at unprecedented speed. A single event, a careless statement, or even a misleading news story can go viral within minutes.
“This past weekend has been very eventful for foreign affairs. The Nigerian Super Eagles were stranded in Libya ahead of a planned AFCON qualifier match. On the same day, various media houses reported that Sunday Igboho, a leading figure in the Yoruba secessionist movement, submitted a petition to the UK government.
“Then, of course, there was the news that Nigeria lost an election in the UN. The only problem was that it was an election that Nigeria never stood for. So how could we lose it?…”
