Place Branding: Conceptualizing the Abuja Brand as a Tourism DestinationBy Dr. Lawal Mohammed Marafa
Tourism has been utilized to compliment activities and interests in urban areas. In most cities particularly across Europe, tourism is a major component of the city economy especially capital cities. Although capital cities in Africa also represents centres of activity both civil and commercial, their status as tourism destinations have not been adequately reported. When city marketing is well done, it can satisfy the requirements of different users, its citizens, investors and visitors alike. In planning and promoting tourism in Abuja capital city, this should be taken into consideration.
In recent years, Nigeria has made admirable progress in polity and governance bringing along steady economic growth. Looking beyond the traditional sales of petroleum and other natural resources, tourism in Nigeria has found itself into the coffers of decision makers. Despite the fact that a large percentage of the country is still rural, urban areas can be packaged as tourism destinations to serve both domestic and inbound tourists. Although the idea of Abuja date back to over twenty years, the search and construction of the new capital portrayed a symbol of recovery and reconciliation leading to a sense of national cohesiveness. With the new political dispensation, this assertion holds sway.
At the time of searching for a new capital, the objectives of the need for a capital city were articulated as follows: a) provide a physical symbol of national unity and of Nigeria as a symbol of pan-African unity; b) provide a cultural and symbolic center for Nigeria and indeed West Africa, and c) provide a high environmental standard for the inhabitants of the city as opposed to what Lagos, the then federal capital city offered. As Abuja is set to take its rightful place among the league of national capitals, there is a lot of potential to be used to its advantage in articulating, marketing and promoting a viable tourism industry. As this city was conceived and created by the government, it grew literally without natural competition of space and economy. As a new city unlike other African destinations, Abuja lacks a long history of historical growth but there is a large scale investment of social capital and infrastructure. There is also a visibly dynamic population. The question is will these stand alone and make Abuja an attractive tourism destination?
Increasingly, cities (especially in Europe) are adopting tourism as a strategic sector for growth and development. To this end, many cities have invested in cultural attractions and infrastructure seeking to secure a niche position on the international tourism map. In fact, a positive place brand encourages inward investment and tourism is a magnet for investments as exemplified by successful brand themes in Singapore (from ‘Surprising Singapore’ to ‘New Asia – Singapore’), Hong Kong (Asia’s World City) and recently Kuala Lumpur (‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ and ‘City within a City’). Other well known brands include: New York (The Big Apple), San Francisco (City by the Bay), or even London (with multiple brands). It is generally believed that developing an industry like tourism in cities can result in plenty of synergies with other strategic sectors of the urban economy.
Successful tourism industry has the capacity to enhance the creation, formulation, and preservation of heritage. It also has the capacity to add value or transform the economy of an urban destination. In order to achieve this, the tourism policy makers will have to recognize and solve some issues. Among these are, that: 1) the existing resources (natural) will have to be promoted as well as create other forms of attractions like events, gastronomy, infrastructure, etc; 2) when tourism themes are promoted, they should be able to bring together development and sustainability to cover spatial, socio-economic and environmental consensus.
In the lexicon of branding, the conceptual terminology associated with it is both diverse and complex. This paper (part of an ongoing research), attempts to use the brand context as part of the total perception of Abuja FCT in the tourism industry, what it can stand for in the eyes of the tourists, and the general image that it can portray in the region and as a tourist destination in particular. Abuja as a tourism destination has not been branded, promoted and even marketed to tourists. The city having been conceptualized, planned and being constructed became the functional national federal capital effectively in December 1991. As a newly built city, it constitutes tourism products that can provide visitors with experiences. For hospitality, major hotels include Hilton, Sheraton, Le Meridien, and many more of international standard. Others include hotels like the Protea, Rockview, Agura, Chelsea that offer services and facilities that can compare favourably with other international hotels elsewhere. In most destinations including Abuja, accessible tourism products and relevant experiences that visitors can derive are mostly facilitated by multiple stakeholders. Considering that many such attractions are land based, Abuja as a new capital city is set to provide a wide variety of alternative attractions. Also as the city is centrally located in the geographical centre of Nigeria, it can be a gateway to the neighboring states whose different cultures can add to the attractions that tourists visiting the city can explore.
Although the argument for branding Abuja is centered around the city and possibly its vicinity, the process and context of which it can exist should be undertaken within the broader tourism master plan and strategy of the country as a whole. The need to create brand especially in Abuja emanates primarily from the zeal and interest with which the government is showing in developing and promoting tourism in the country. As capital cities mostly reflect the maturity and prospect of a viable tourism industry in a nation, branding Abuja can be relatively easier than attempting to brand the whole of Nigeria as a destination since there is already an overwhelming presence of modernity, infrastructure and services that can form the gamut of tourism and hospitality industry. While there is a growing number of hospitality structures and services, the city essentially remains a virgin tourist destination. In fact, despite the presence of relevant infrastructure and services, tourism in Abuja remains fragmented, not articulated, leaving untapped immense potential. To this end, articulating the Abuja brand can cover the following examples: physical; social setting; culture; educational, etc.
Physical:
Physically, Abuja FCT occupies an undulating topography with Abuja city occupying a major plain. Two major rock attractions are the Aso rock, to the south east and Zuma rock to the northwest. While Zuma rock is famous for its cone shape with natural carves that depicts human face, Aso rock depicts the bastion of power as it overlooks the official seat of government. Added to these are the lower Usman dam, the IBB golf course, zoological park, satellite towns, etc. The location of Abuja in the Gwagwa plains allows the city to blend nature and development. The surrounding outcrops like Chukuku hills, Agwai hills, Gwagwa hills in addition to Aso and Zuma rocks can all offer opportunities for alternative experiences like “adventure tourism”.
Socio-cultural:
Abuja was agreed to be built on a neutral land following examples from Canberra (Australia), Brasillia (Brazil) and Dodoma (Tanzania). As the city grew spatially and demographically, the population became diverse with no clear ethnic domination making it a unique city in Nigeria and indeed Africa. As a Federal Capital City, the government is keen to portray the diversity of the country and reflect it in Abuja. Given the function of culture in identifying a brand image, this is a good setting to achieve cultural propensity. To see the representation of culture as an obligation is to misunderstand its role as a communicator of a country’s true spirit and essence. In fact, ‘cultural tourism’ as a theme could be applied to a wide range of activities covering heritage and also attendance at performances of music, dance carnivals, etc.
Consequently, culture plays an essential role in the process of enriching a country’s brand image, in driving the process from the initial shorthand of media communications towards a fuller and more durable understanding of the country and its values of which Nigeria is blessed. As a melting point of Nigerian diverse culture, Abuja stands to gain in tourism if cultural themes are put together for promotion and marketing. Indeed this is an advantage for Abuja as the cultural aspect of national image is irreplaceable and uncopiable because it is uniquely linked to the country itself. Using this in Abuja could be reassuring because it links the country’s past with its present; it is enriching because it deals partially with non-commercial activities; and it is dignifying because it shows the spiritual and intellectual qualities of the country’s people and institutions.
Educational:
The building of a new capital city is an historic undertaking. In addition to the process of decision making, ecological information was primarily used to develop the suitabilities for the various land uses necessary for the new city. The physical setting, the social aspect of the city and the cultural themes that can be portrayed in Abuja can be tailored to be educational. As a newly built city replete with planning perspectives and on going dynamism that accompanies a vibrant urban population, visits to Abuja can be educational to both foreign and domestic visitors. Indeed, there is a great deal to learn and this can be oriented to suit the increasingly educated travelers, both domestic and inbound. Advantages and themes can be conceived as Abuja, the capital city is the fastest growing city in Africa and it is also Nigeria's first and only planned city.
Finally, in conceptualising and presenting the Abuja Brand, attention should be paid to positioning, added value and developing a brand image. Abuja represents a newly planned, dynamically vibrant city that is Africa’s fastest growing cosmopolitan. Successful branding can raise the profile, and have a significant impact in portraying Abuja as the hub of West Africa, to say the list. Looking at examples of successful brands as mentioned earlier, the city can be branded as ‘Totally African’: reflecting the amalgamation of various cultures that can be identified in the city population. ‘Abuja: New and Old’: encompassing multiple brands. Abuja: Nigeria and even More! These, indeed signifies its location as a regional hub. Having understood the need for branding Abuja and the complexities involved, there is the need to strategize and identify the current needs and long-term development of the city and tourism in particular. To this end, a lot of work is required to develop and manage the image that will be created for Abuja brand.
Dr. L. M. Marafa Teaches and does Research at The Chinese University of Hong Kong
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