‘An Image Maker’s Perspective of Rethinking Nigeria’ Paper delivered by Mr. Yomi Badejo – Okusanya at the 2015 Public Colloquium of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Ogun State Chapter, Nigeria.Thursday, August 13, 2015.

1. 1
‘An Image Maker’s Perspective of Rethinking Nigeria’
Paper delivered by
Mr. Yomi Badejo – Okusanya
at the 2015 Public Colloquium of the
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)
Ogun State Chapter
Thursday, August 13, 2015.
Preamble
Let me begin by expressing my delight at being invited to deliver this
paper to mark the 2015 Ogun State NIPR Colloquium. It is indeed a
pleasure to be here with this distinguished audience and I thank the
Executives and Members of the NIPR Ogun State Chapter for the
privilege of sharing thoughts with other leading lights in the industry. Let
me add that I feel very much at home as my journey in this industry
started from this city – Abeokuta and I am proud of my pedigree from
this remarkable state of great achievers.
In discussing the image or perception of any country, there are so
many factors to consider. More so in a country like Nigeria, where we
have diverse cultures and beliefs; where issues such as corruption,
unemployment and the recent threat of insecurity has affected us both
locally and internationally. It is imperative for us to look at the different
aspects that make up this great nation Nigeria.

2. 2
Background
From independence, Nigeria has been ruled by 12 Heads of State /
Presidents. Being a keen student of history, permit me to give a quick
overview of the political history of Nigeria from that period.
Time in
Office
Government Historical Events
1960-1963
Dr. Nnamdi
Azikiwe
(Governor
General)
.
Abubakar
Balewa
(Prime
Minister)
Nigeria obtained her Independence from
Britain on Oct 1, 1960. Sir Abubakar
Tafawa Balewa became the first indigenous
Prime Minister, while Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe
was appointed as the Governor-General.
Sir Tafawa Balewa, had the great task of
nurturing a young nation with diverse
cultural and political interests.
On the foreign front, Balewa played an
important role in the formation of the
Organisation of African Unity now known as
the African Union and the creation of a
cooperative relationship with French
speaking African countries. He was also
instrumental in negotiations between Moise
Tshombe and the Congolese authorities
during the Congo Crisis of 1960–1964, and
he entered into an alliance with
Commonwealth ministers who wanted

3. 3
South Africa to leave the Commonwealth in
1961. His pioneering activities helped to
fashion Nigeria’s image as the “Giant of
Africa”.
1963-1966
Nnamdi
Azikiwe
(President)
Civilian
Died in 1996
Balewa
( Prime
Minister)
Civilian
Killed in
1966.
Upon Nigeria becoming a republic in 1963,
Dr. Azikiwe was elected President of the
Federal Republic, and Balewa remained
Prime Minister. However, there arose great
controversy over the 1963 population
census, where the Igbos thought the
Hausa-Fulani overestimated their numbers
in order to give the Northern region undue
edge.
This era witnessed disparities in economic
and educational development between the
south and the north, which heralded the
country’s journey to strife and
disintegration.
Jan.15,
1966 - Jul
29, 1966
Johnson
Aguiyi-Ironsi
Military
In January of 1966, some young army
majors mainly of Igbo extract staged a coup
d'etat to overthrow the government of
Azikiwe and Balewa.
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was placed in charge
of the new military government. Despite the
bloody nature of the coup, the new

4. 4
Killed in
1966.
government promised a progressive
program that involved a quick return to
civilian rule and a vow to stamp out
corruption and violence.
However, there were many allegations that
Aguiyi-Ironsi favored the Igbos over other
ethnic groups. There was also the fact that
Ironsi’s government failed to prosecute the
officers who had killed the northern leaders
which further aggravated the people.
Though Aguiyi-Ironsi gave some
concessions to northerners, many Hausa-
Fulani felt the coup was a plot to make the
Igbo dominant in Nigeria. The North - South
dichotomy was further widened.
July 29,
1966
- July 25,
1975
Yakubu
Gowon
Military
Still alive
Unsurprisingly, in July of the same year,
some northern army officers staged a
counter coup, killing Aguiyi-Ironsi and many
other Igbo officials. The army leadership
chose Yakubu "Jack" Gowon a Christian,
as the new ruler.
Gowon had not actually been involved in
the coup, but they felt he would be the best
compromise candidate to head the Federal
Military Government. His first steps
included restoring Federalism, and
releasing the late sage Chief Obafemi
Awolowo from prison.
Gowon vowed to re-start Nigeria along the

5. 5
road to civilian government. However, when
Gowon moved to split the 4 existing regions
into 12 states in 1967, Chukwuemeka
Ojukwu, the leader of the Eastern Region
refused to accept this and declared that the
Eastern Region will become its own
independent republic named Biafra.
In June 1967, a civil war broke out which
lasted until Biafra surrendered in January of
1970, after Ojukwu escaped into exile.
July 25,
1975
- February
13, 1976
Murtala
Muhammed
Military
Killed in
1976.
By 1974, Gowon had broken several
promises to return the nation to civilian rule,
which provided an excuse for a coup to
oust him in July 1975. For a change,
Gowon was not killed.
Murtala Muhammed took over, promising
the continuation of the federal system of
government with constitutional laws
guaranteeing fundamental human rights,
maximum democratic participation, and an
orderly return to civilian rule. Plans were
made to move the national capital from
Lagos to Abuja.
February
13, 1976
-
September
30, 1979
Olusegun
Obasanjo
In February of 1976, there was an
attempted coup by Buka Dimka. Although it
was unsuccessful, it was bloody as Gen.
Muhammed was killed. Olusegun
Obasanjo was chosen to take his place as
the new ruler, and he promised to continue

6. 6
Military what Muhammed had started. During his
term, he raised University fees which led to
student riots. The government banned
student organizations, restricted public
opposition to the regime, controlled union
activity, nationalized land, and increased oil
industry regulation. However, in 1978, a
new constitution was written that would
return the country to civilian rule, and
elections were held in 1979.
October 1,
1979
-
December
30, 1983
Shehu
Shagari
Civilian
Still alive but
placed under
house arrest
in 1983.
Alhaji Shehu Usman Musa Shagari was
named the new president in the 1979
elections. He stayed in power for his entire
term, and when the next elections were
held in 1983, he won again.
By this time the populace decried the
profligacy of politicians and had become
quite disillusioned with civilian rule.
December
31, 1983
- August
27, 1985
Muhammadu
Buhari
Military
Still alive.
Matters came to height with yet another
military coup on December 31 1983,
although this one was reasonably welcome
as Nigerians felt that the nation had
deteriorated into shameless corruption and
economic mismanagement. Shagari was
placed under house arrest, and

7. 7
Muhammadu Buhari was named the new
leader. Buhari set out to revive the
economy, which was focused on, instead of
returning the country to civilian rule. He also
restricted freedom of the press, suppressed
criticism of the government, and outlawed
many political and labor organizations. In
addition, he declared a War Against
Indiscipline to deal sternly with indecent
public behavior, inadequate sanitation,
corruption, and smuggling, while
encouraging patriotism. His fiscal policies
made it difficult for many companies to run
profitably, and eventually led to high
inflation. His inflexibility led to increasing
discontent.
August 27,
1985
- August
27, 1993
Ibrahim
Babangida
Military
Still alive
So yet another coup took place on August
27, 1985. This time Ibrahim Babangida
(Buhari's Chief of Army Staff before the
coup) was named Chairman of the Federal
Executive Council. Babangida justified his
rebellion against Buhari by citing the
insensitivity of the regime to the feelings of
the Nigerian masses. He began his rule
claiming to be a human rights activist,
and released all the politicians that Buhari
incarcerated. But he too soon started to
hound opposition interest groups, and
detained many people for dubious political
offenses. Economically, Babangida

8. 8
introduced controversial market reforms,
freeing exchange and interest rates which
led to a sharp drop in the value of the
Nigerian currency, while raising lending
rates to more than 40 percent.
Babangida was forced to resign after his
unjust annulment of then adjudged freest
and fairest election in Nigeria, won by the
Late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
Chief Ernest Shonekan, a civilian, was
appointed the head of a hurriedly
constituted Interim National Government.
August 27,
1993
-
November
17, 1993
Ernest
Shonekan
Civilian
Still alive
Shonekan's rule was the shortest in history
of Nigeria, lasting less than 3 months; he
was overthrown by General Sani Abacha
on November 17, 1993. Abacha is believed
to have been instrumental in both the 1983
and the 1985 coups, and was Babangida's
defence minister.

9. 9
November
17, 1993
- June 8,
1998
Sani Abacha
Military
Died of heart
attack on
June 8,
1998.
Sani Abacha is probably the most
'Infamous' president of Nigeria noted for his
brutality and dictatorship. He dismantled all
elected institutions, disbanded national and
state assemblies, closed independent
publications, banned all political activities
and suspended the constitution.
In 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa (an
environmentalist and playwright) was
constantly critical of the Nigerian
government for the environmental damage
being inflicted by oil exploration companies
on Ogoni land. Saro-Wiwa and 8 other
leaders were arrested on dubious charges
of murdering some political opponents and
were all sentenced to death by hanging.
Opposition to their sentences and appeals
for mercy came from all over the world.
However, on November 10, 1995, they
were hung. This stunned the world, and led
to the suspension of Nigeria from the
Commonwealth. Nelson Mandela called for
international sanctions against Nigerian oil,
which accounted for more than 90 percent
of the foreign currency earnings.
Nigeria became a pariah state.
This hurt the already deteriorating
economy, but Abacha tried to shore up

10. 10
credibility by portraying Nigeria as a
regional peacemaker through his effort at
brokering peace that ended Liberia's 7-year
civil war.
June 8,
1998
- May 29,
1999
Abdulsalam
Abubakar
Military
After Abacha died suddenly in June 1998,
Abdulsalam Abubakar took his place, and
set up a transition program that led the
country back to civilian rule on May 29,
1999.
May 29,
1999 -
May 29,
2007
Olusegun
Obasanjo
Civilian
Obasanjo on of Abacha’s victim’s was
released from prison by Abdusalam, and
subsequently encouraged to run for
President in the upcoming elections. After a
series of primaries, Obasanjo won on the
platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party
and was inaugurated as the new civilian
President on May 29, 1999. He spent two
terms of 4years each exiting in 2007.
Umaru Musa
Yar'Adua
Civilian
Umaru Musa Yar’adua emerged the
2nd President of Nigeria's Fourth Republic.
He was declared the winner of yet another
controversial Nigerian General Election of
2007, held on April 21, and sworn in on
May 29, 2007.
On June 28, 2007, Yar’Adua publicly
declared his assets (becoming the first
Nigeria leader to do so).This disclosure,

11. 11
which fulfilled a pre-election promise he
made, was intended to set an example for
other Nigerian politicians and discourage
corruption. Unfortunately, following a
protracted illness, he died before he could
complete his tenure, leaving the country’s
governance in a quandary for a while
before his death.
May 6,
2010 –
May 29,
2015
Goodluck
Ebele
Jonathan
Civilian
Following Yar’adua’s death on 5th May
2010, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was
sworn in as his replacement on 6th May
2010, becoming Nigeria’s 14th head of
state.
He was elected President subsequently in
his own right on 16th April and sworn in
29th of May, 2011.
Jonathan’s tenure was quite checkered.
There are strong allegations that his
government was inept, corrupt and
rudderless. While this may have been
opposition speaking, it was obvious that
Nigerians had had enough of 16 years of
PDP’s rule.

12. 12
May 29,
2015 – To
date
Muhammadu
Buhari
Civilian
Buhari ran in the 2015 Presidential election
as a candidate of the All Progressives
Congress. His appeal was built around his
perceived incorruptibility, ability to fight
insecurity and re-track the economy.
On March 31, incumbent
President Goodluck Jonathan called Buhari
to concede defeat and congratulate him on
his election as President. Buhari was sworn
in on 29 May 2015 in a ceremony attended
by at least 23 Heads of State and
Government.
Why Rethink Nigeria?
".....Nigeria people are generally nice but the politicians are
very insane..."
"....We put ...together a very good airline-the first airline in
West Africa that was ever IOSA/IATA operational safety audit
accredited but unfortunately it got tied down to the politics of
the country.."
".....The joint venture should have been the biggest African
carrier by now if the partnership was allowed to grow, but the
politicians KILLED it...Nigeria is a country we SHALL NEVER
consider to doing business again....." says the rich
international businessman, the chairman of Virgin Atlantic,
Mr. Richard Branson.

13. 13
As the American’s say ‘if it don’t broke, don’t fix it!’ This is what a global
investor, whose firsthand experience makes a strong difference, thinks
of Nigeria.
That Nigeria needs urgent fixing is a gross understatement. Our
education is broken, infrastructure decayed, institutions failed and
compromised, healthcare sick, economy poor, security under threat,
basic amenities lacking and image battered.
In my own opinion, the greatest problem of Nigeria is not corruption but
Impunity even as many insist that impunity itself is the extreme form of
corruption. There was this unbelievable amount of sheer willfulness
prevalent in the Nigerian state especially among politicians and those in
government. There was the feeling that you can get away with anything
if you have the right connection and resources. Things went from the
absurd to sublime! Age-long values no longer mattered while reasoning
was stood on its head. People literally looted and stood by their loot
daring anyone to challenge them. Cases in hand are the looting of
banks by people in authority, former governors blatantly self-
appropriating the treasuries, and of course the most recent oil subsidy
scam.
It is against this background that the 2015 general elections were held
and for the first time in Nigeria, what we thought was impossible, an
opposition party defeating an incumbent, became possible. Nigerians
yearned for a change. Nigerians knew we could no longer continue like
this. Nigerians had started ‘Re-thinking their nation’. The 2015 elections
was a clear affirmation of what Nigerians wanted and they made their
voices heard. They desired to take their destiny in their own hands.

14. 14
It is heartbreaking to see many of our productive work forced to stay at
home for years, due to the paucity of jobs. According to official
statistics, 24% of Nigerians are unemployed. In March 2014, I recollect
a few years back, how 16 people were killed in stampede when
500,000 desperate job seekers rushed to apply for under 5,000
vacancies at the Nigeria Immigration Service. Consequently, many of
these unemployed graduates engage themselves in online scams and
other fraudulent activities just to survive. Not surprisingly, between 45 –
60 percent of the population of Nigerians live below poverty line.
Hallmark of Great Nations
1. Purposeful Leadership
2. Rule of Law
3. Adequate Security
4. Good Social Welfare
5. Strong Accountability
6. Free Enterprise
7. High Standard of Living
8. Infrastructure Development
My Panacea
The question now is ‘can we possibly re-think Nigeria?’ Regardless of
the seemingly insurmountable challenges, is there any hope for the
nation? The answer is a big Yes! I am an incurable optimist when it
comes to my country. I know we can make it. Many nations have done
so before and I believe Nigeria’s case cannot be different. We only

15. 15
have to address a number of fundamental issues and I shall attempt to
deal with a few of them here;
1. Re-think& Re-set Values – a situation where wealth seems to be
king no matter how it is gotten must change. The National
Orientation Agency (NOA) has an enormous task to perform in
this regard. It must drive the “Change Agenda” to Nigerians. We
must be re-schooled in re-ordering our priorities and thinking for
the greater good of the nation. We must re-learn to celebrate who
and what is worth celebrating. NOA must also lead the charge of
helping Nigerians to trust the government again. We need a new
social order.
2. Fight Corruption: The fight against the cancer called “corruption”
must be total. Corruption is multi-headed and therefore cannot,
and must not be fought on any singular platform. The early moves
of the Federal Government shows it means serious business.
3. Strong Citizenship Advocacy: Citizens take ownership and hold
our leaders accountable. As much as our participation during the
last general elections is quite commendable, we must do more.
4. Constitutional Review: Right now we are practicing feeding
bottle federalism; each state must be made accountable for its
resources. Hence, the need to review the constitution. For
example, minimum wage should not be a national affair; each
state should set its wages according to its capabilities. When a
local government chairman in Lagos and Taraba state earn the
same salary, it is bound to create a problem somewhere. This is
because their constituents’ workload and population vary. We

16. 16
need to review our basis of staying together, not by breaking us
up but by binding us together.
5. Strong Institutions& Policy Framework: We need to strengthen
institutions and processes. The fight against corruption as at now
is punitive but it should be proactive. There should be an
improvement in justice; our judiciary must be strong, independent
and well funded. While, I commend the efforts of the Nigerian
Judiciary, there are more to be done, e.g. quick dispensation of
justice must be looked into.
6. Security: The responsibility of every government is to protect the
lives and properties of its citizens. We cannot allow different
groups to disrupt the peace of the country. As a nation, the use of
technology should be strongly engaged in tightening security. As
of now, there are no universal data of Nigerians, no police
laboratory that conduct DNA test and more. All these need to be
modified.
7. Infrastructural Development: The government must look at how
to fund infrastructural development; be it road, railway, hospital
etc. The Public Private Partnership model must be encouraged,
investable long term funds be accessible e.g. Long term pension
funds and more.
8. Social Welfare & Employment Generation- The government
must address the challenge of unemployment through the
resuscitation of the small and medium scale enterprises.

17. 17
9. Refresh ‘Brand Nigeria’: Concerted efforts must be made
towards revamping the image of Nigeria as a means of attracting
investment. The local media has a role to play in this regard. The
negative publicity about the government and its activities has
contributed to the poor perception of the nation in the international
community.
Despite its duties as the “watch dog” of a nation, the media also
has the responsibility to help protect the image of the country.
Cues can be taken from other nations, for instance,CNN still finds
an angle that protects their country’s image. The same goes for
Britain’s BBC, Arab’s Aljazeera and China’s CCTV.
It is on this note that I strongly advocate for a convening of a National
Reputation Summit for the revamping of the country’s image.
Role of the Public Relations Practitioners and NIPR
In most of the solutions proffered, you will notice that there is a huge
role for the 21st century public relations practitioners. Never before in
the history of Nigeria has there been a more acute need for
communication. In the first place, communication delivered the change
or re-thinking of Nigeria. The campaign ran by the APC bears eloquent
testimony to this. There are great opportunities in public affairs, creative
media services, crisis communication, reputation management,
specialised communication, new media, destination marketing and
communication training to mention a few.

18. 18
Sadly we are yet to suitably position ourselves as PR professionals to
take full advantage of these opportunities. Why?
1. Many of our practitioners do not possess cutting-edge skills
2. A large number of our consulting practitioners do not have robust
platform to take on the coming challenges. We need more
partnerships.
3. Our profession is being challenged by interlopers making our
value determination challenging.
NIPR has a herculean task largely; our institute does not
commend the respect that it ought to. NIPR in itself will have to do
many things to undergo the change that will cause people to give
it and its members the due regard. The Institute must learn to put
its best foot forward. The age of quarrelling and squabbling must
be put behind. It must develop a road map which clearly
communicate its vision to members clearly and ensure their
strong buy in it. NIPR must give its members a strong sense of
belonging and generally heighten its relevance among key
stakeholders.
Role of the Media
We cannot leave the media out of this quest. The media plays an
important of informing and educating the people about the activities of
the government. There are so many great things this nation has to
offer. The media should try to promote the positive events that the
nation has undertaken. Our rich cultural heritage should be
emphasized; the creativity of our youths should be publicized, our
achievements in the health and education sector should be talked
about. For instance, the fact that we now have running refineries is
commendable, let us learn to publicize it to the outside world. Instead of

19. 19
talking about how we are late in our developments, we should focus on
the fact that we have at least reached our destination.
We as Public relations practitioners and NIPR members should work
together with the media to boost the image of this nation.
Message to the Youth
The future belongs to you and you must embrace it boldly. You have
been nurtured under enormous challenges. Some of which Ihave cited,
but you must not let that limit or hold you back. You must purpose to be
the best. We are only holding the future in custody for you. You must
seize that future.
Let us pray:
Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause
Guide our leaders right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.
Thank you for listening.

20. 20
Bibliography
Collin, C. (2013, May 18). The solutions to Nigeria’s problems (Part 1).
Nigeria Village Square. Retrieved from
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/the-solutions-to-nigeria-
s-problems-part-1.html
Thomas, F. (2012, October 6). 10 qualities of a great nation. Thomas
Foss Wordpress blog. Retrieved from
https://thomasfann.wordpress.com/2012/10/26/10-qualities-of-a-
great-nation/
Uzochukwu, M. (2015, April 28) Resolving the multi-faceted challenges
confronting Nigeria. The Nigerian Observer. Retrieved from
http://www.nigerianobservernews.com/2015/04/28/resolving-the-
multi-faceted-challanges-confronting-nigeria/
Major problems facing Nigeria today. AfricaW. Retrieved from
http://www.africaw.com/major-problems-facing-nigeria-today