The Nigerian Brand

Joshua Ocheja

A brand is driven by vision; it sets its mind on a specific goal and works towards achieving it. To build a strong brand you need to be driven by vision and passion.

For the purpose of clarity, it’s pertinent to highlight insights into what a brand stands for when juxtapose with the contemporary Nigerian society.

A brand is an idea that exists in the mind. Your mind needs to categorize information that presents its self in order to make sense out of chaos. The human brain cannot function with disorder and confusion. So what your mind does when presented in such situation is to categorize and try to associate it with an idea.

Take the example of popular search engine Google. The idea is when you want to surf for information on the web, Google immediately comes to mind.

What idea comes to mind at the mention of Nigeria? In the spirit of objectivity, I constructed a questionnaire to sample opinions from Nigerians. I randomly administered the questionnaire and the end result was shocking!

60% of sampled population registered “Corruption”, 25% registered “Bad leadership”, and 15% registered “Greed”. What a revelation!

Corruption, bad leadership and greed were the ideas that exist in the minds of Nigerian about their country. I was baffled to say the least but not taken by surprise.

These attributes combined together calls for sober reflection in Nigeria. It seems the labor of our leaders past is going down the drain. All hope is not lost; you will agree with me that a lot of work needs to be done.

The major problem I could deduce to have left us disintegrated is our culture orientation. Ethnic groups organize themselves into a sect of sort, and view public policies from the prism of their sectional interest.

The Federal character syndrome is more of a curse to us than a blessing, in that those at the fore front are not sincere about the cause. For example after much noise about accommodating all zones in the government of the day, the appointee thinks first of his immediate family, to appease his masters and how to stash wealth for the days ahead because of the uncertainty surrounding government positions.

In such situations, it smacks a mockery, when qualified candidates are denied the opportunity of serving the nation based on ethnic line. The end result is where we find our selves today.

Ethnic divide is indeed at heart of the unfounded allegations of marginalization by a group of mischief makers. Nigeria is one and would remain one, which I see no reason why certain position of authority should be the preserve of a geographical zone. Our emphasis should be premised on qualification, expertise, experience and suitability for the job.

The lack of vision by our leaders is another clog in the wheels of progress. Just like I mentioned earlier, building a strong brand requires a huge sense of vision and passion, can we say our leaders have these attributes? If no, I see building the Nigerian nation into a strong formidable brand a mirage.

As much as it remains a mirage to undertake this task in the sheer absence of vision and passion, we are gradually heading towards extinction.

These acts have been the catalyst behind the disintegration witnessed in the country. Funny as it may sound, the primary school pupil has been infected with the orientation and the long time effect is our today and tomorrow.

However like I posited earlier all hope is not lost. Building a Nigerian brand is a simple yet Herculean task, a simple task for the sincere mind and a Herculean task for the dubious mind.

First and foremost, the leadership of the nation should not be left to the politicians alone. Politics in Nigerian context is throwing of money around and paying allegiance to “god fathers”. A Nigerian politician is one that has accumulated wealth, signed undertaking to be loyal to a sect that brought him to power and compensate the powers that be adequately.

The “god father” syndrome came to the fore front during the last dispensation; its growth was cancerous and gradually infiltrated all tiers of government. Some pride themselves to be addressed as one. It was viewed as a national honor. The discerning mind will question the rationale for such conceit!

In the context of the above, what readily come to mind at the mention of Nigeria are corruption, bad leadership and greed. These aforementioned are our identity as it stands.

The principal way forward for us to continue to exist as a nation is to address issues from the grass root. If those at the helms of affairs can be sincere enough to embrace this fact because they know it, we are on the path to greatness.

Just like the American dream, we should have the Nigerian dream. Our sensibilities should be awakening to this onerous responsibility of collective nation building.

The reorientation mechanism should start from our homes, kindergarten classes down to the universities. I remember vividly my days in the university attending a lecture on political economy. The lecturer made a remark that appeared funny to the class but in reality it is true. He said and I quote

” when a government official returns from the office thinking of how he engaged in one corrupt act or probably thanking his stars for a deal sealed and he meets his wife at home eager to hear the details of the deal. At night they undertake marital obligation in that mindset and the end result is a child who is a product of corrupt minded parents and a tendency that the child will inherit such chromosome is high. It’s either the child takes after the father or the mother”

Funny this sounds, but the effect can not be overlooked. The effect is what is threatening our existence today. Of late the government has stepped up the fight against corruption in high places and clearly disregarded those little things that are of grave consequences if not checked. Take the example of our tertiary institutions, “sorting” lecturers for grades is seen as a normal thing, but the effect it has on the economy is what is referred to as “half baked” graduates. Common sight graduates of our schools unable to express them selves in proper sentence talk more of writing.

All these acts to mention but a few are clog in the wheels of our progress. A situation where parents encourage wards to cheat in exam halls and are ready to pay any price is appalling. In my candid opinion this is detrimental than a government official that embezzles government fund. Why? The implication being that that child will become a parent one day and will in turn reciprocate such gesture to his children and the chain continues.

How can we fight the good fight then, when moral decadence reigns supreme? If this trend is not curtailed I foresee a state of absolute debauchery and a mission impossible in the nearest future.

The long and short of it is that everybody is guilty and as such we have to retrace our steps and begin the task of nation building from our various homes.

Nigeria the best is still possible!