General News
Experts Deplore Mixture of Govt Communications with Nation Branding
Miss Wendy Tlou, chief marketing officer, Brand South Africa, has said one of the keys to a successful nation branding initiative is to separate it from the government communication programme.
Speaking as the guest speaker at this year’s Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) Annual Public Relations Gold Medal Lecture themed: “Destination Marketing: A Case Study of The South Africa Experience” in Lagos, Tlou said the inability to separate the two distinct functions could hamper the progress of a nation brand building project.
Drawing from South Africa’s experience in building “Brand South Africa”, a project whose marketing and communication programme she has been privileged to drive, Tlou noted that while the government’s activities and achievements could go a long way in supporting nation brand building, having the managers of that process to also act as mouth pieces of the government could be counter-productive.
She said: “The secret of successful destination marketing lies in separating national communication from government communication. The mistake we all make is to assume that government is the only source of information about the country. Government is a great source of information in terms of how it is running the country; it is not however the only source.
“The role of government is to communicate the steps and programmes, what service delivery it is putting in place to ensure that the lives of the citizens are improved every single day, while the role of the nation brand builders is to position the country to the world as a destination for tourism and investment, irrespective of what administration is in power at any particular point in time”.
According to Tlou, although ‘Brand South Africa’ is the brain child of former President Thabo Mbeki and also reports directly to the Presidency, it operates independently as a private enterprise.
Speaking further, she argued that building a successful nation brand is not about a geographical location but about the people in that location.
According to her, the government must obtain the buy-in of the citizens, who then naturally become the project’s ambassadors.
“At the heart of nation brand building must be the people of the nation. If the people are not convinced to buy into the dreams that the country is selling to the world, the whole effort will be nothing but a waste of resources.”
Tlou recalled that one mistake Brand South Africa made at the outset of its work was to ignore South Africans themselves – the citizens, business organisations, civil organizations and the media – and to run off, trying to sell their country to the international community.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr. John Ehiguese, CEO, Mediacraft Associates and president, PRCAN disclosed that the choice of the theme was informed by repeated past failures of Nigeria at nation brand building. He noted that there were lessons to learn from South Africa that has successfully turned itself into a tourism and investment destination of choice in Africa.
He said: “The choice of this year’s theme was informed by the simple fact that over the years our country Nigeria has made several efforts at destination marketing, but it does appear those efforts have not been particularly successful. On the other hand, South Africans who came out of the harrowing experience of apartheid have successfully turned their country into a destination for tourism and investment. So we said to ourselves that perhaps there are some lessons we can take home from them. Hence the choice of Wendy Tlou, who happens to have been deeply involved in the whole process in South Africa.”
The Annual Public Relations Gold Medal Lecture is a thought leadership initiative of PRCAN to stimulate public discourse on national issues that have direct bearing on Nigeria’s economic, political and social well-being.
This year’s is the second in the series. The first edition, held in October 2013, featured ex-Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who spoke on the topic: “The imperatives of Policy Communication in Deepening Democracy and Governance”.
The Nigerian government has launched the Virtual Privacy Academy, a new digital training platform designed to deepen data protection and privacy policies in the private and public sectors.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, unveiled the initiative during the 8th annual conference of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities, which began yesterday in Abuja.
The three-day conference, titled “Balancing Innovation in Africa: Data Protection and Privacy in Emerging Technologies,” drew attendees from over 30 African countries, as well as Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
Dr. Tijani emphasised that the academy is part of Nigeria’s strategy to capitalise on the benefits of the digital economy by providing actors with the tools they need to navigate hazardous data governance landscape.
According to Tijani, this project would provide Nigerians with the opportunity to gain practical skills in data protection.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, highlighted Nigeria’s recent data governance milestones during his address.
He stated that the Commission had completed over 5,000 compliance assessments, opened 223 investigations, and assisted 12 organisations with rehabilitation.
Dr. Olatunji urged African countries who have yet to pass data protection laws to do so, emphasizing that “strong data protection frameworks are not barriers to innovation, but enablers of a resilient and inclusive digital economy.”
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said that the Afreximbank would invest $19 billion to fund the African Energy Bank.
He said the $19 billion would go a long way toward tackling and overcoming energy poverty, driving economic growth, and improving the lives of millions of people.
The minister disclosed this while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Pavilion, hosted by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, U.S with the theme “Africa’s Energy Renaissance: Leveraging Innovation and Natural Gas for Sustainable Development.”
He said that by pooling resources, African countries can invest in large-scale energy projects.
Also, the minister stressed the need for Africa to develop cohesive policies tailored to its unique circumstances, warning that fragmented approaches would be ineffective in addressing the escalating energy deficit.
“This conference is not a jamboree. It is a platform for Nigeria, and by extension, Africa — to showcase its vast potential,” Lokpobiri said.
He underscored the importance of regional collaboration, highlighting the Africa Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) as a strategic entity established to devise shared solutions for the continent’s energy challenges.
According to him, the prevailing global discourse on energy transition is largely influenced by geopolitical considerations.
In response to this challenge, he announced that APPO is in the process of establishing the African Energy Bank to bridge funding gaps and ultimately free the continent from energy poverty.
During a meeting with his Ghanaian counterpart, Lokpobiri advised Ghana to draw lessons from Nigeria’s past experiences in the energy sector, particularly in avoiding early missteps.
In his address, Ghana’s Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Mr John Abdullahi, acknowledged Nigeria’s leading role in the region.
He stated that while Ghana is a relatively new player in the oil and gas sector, it is eager to learn from Nigeria’s experiences and reforms, especially in the areas of local content development and climate policy.
“We will continue to consult Nigeria as we build a successful oil and gas industry. The collaboration between both countries remains strong. For his part, PETAN Chairman Wole Ogunsanya emphasised the significance of Nigeria’s presence at OTC.
He said: “This year’s event, under the Nigerian Pavilion, is set to highlight Africa’s growing role in the global energy sector.
“OTC 2025 promises to bring together top-tier industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders at the world’s largest energy event.”
Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has declared July 1, 2025, as the deadline for phasing out cash transactions across all its offices nationwide.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by Frank Alao, director of Corporate Communications,NIPOST.
The move is part of a broader reform initiative aimed at transforming NIPOST into a more innovative, efficient, and digitally driven organisation.
The management explained that the reforms are aligned with global best practices and tailored to meet the demands of Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy, as well as the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Alao stated, “We are assuring Nigerians of a revitalised NIPOST that delivers superior service and embraces the future.
“A major highlight of the reform package is the transition to a fully cashless system. Beginning July 1, 2025, all post office counters nationwide will no longer accept cash payments for their services. Customers will be required to use approved electronic channels for all transactions.
“This is a crucial step in our modernization journey, one that ensures safer, faster, and more transparent service delivery.”
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