What is your approach to building relationships with national and international media to promote a favourable image of Nigeria?
Trust is the cornerstone of strong media relations. We work with both local and international media by providing accurate data, human-interest stories, and access to Nigerian leaders and changemakers. Our approach is proactive rather than reactive. ensuring that journalists do not only hear crisis-driven stories about Nigeria, but also stories of progress, culture, and solutions.
How do you intend to involve the younger generations in the project, particularly in shaping and sharing Nigeria’s narrative?
Nigeria is a young nation, and our youths are our greatest storytellers. We can involve them through digital challenges, creative ambassador programmes, and training opportunities that allow them to co-create narratives. We believe that when young Nigerians share their stories, the world will listen.
How do you balance local narratives with the expectations of global audiences in your messaging?
Balancing local and global narratives requires authenticity. We must tell stories rooted in Nigerian realities, our challenges and triumphs, while framing them in a language that resonates globally. For instance, a local innovation in fintech can be presented as part of a global conversation about financial inclusion. So, we don’t change the local story to fit a global mold. Instead, we translate its significance. We ensure the local content is respected and clear, but we highlight why it matters to the world. We show how Nigeria’s solutions, culture, and creativity are relevant to global audiences because they speak to shared human and economic interests. The key is alignment. staying true to who we are while speaking to what the world cares about.
What strategies do you intend to use to engage various stakeholders, including government, private sector, and civil society organisation in the reputation management process?
Reputation management is most powerful when it is inclusive. Our strategy boils down to three things; shared ownership, structured dialogue, and co-creation. Our strategy is to create platforms where government, the private sector, civil society, and youths can contribute to shaping Nigeria’s story. This will include stakeholder roundtables, joint campaigns, and cross-sector partnerships. We will empower them as co-creators. We will provide the platform, the digital tools, the media connections and then amplify their authentic stories. The government’s role isn’t to control the narrative, but to curate and champion the incredible narratives Nigerians are already creating every day. It’s about moving from telling the world about Nigeria, to helping Nigerians tell the world themselves. Engagement must be two-way; we must listen as much as we communicate.
What can you say about The Nigeria Global Reputation Project
It is a strategic, data-driven national initiative designed to proactively measure, manage, and enhance Nigeria’s perception on the global stage. Powered by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), it brings together government, private sector, and cultural leaders to align our national narrative with our economic and cultural realities, ultimately driving investment, tourism, and global influence.
How do you intend to collect and incorporate feedback from citizens and stakeholders regarding Nigeria’s image on the global stage?
Listening is central to reputation management. We will establish feedback channels through citizen surveys, diaspora town halls, social media sentiment tracking, and stakeholder consultations. And the feedback will not sit on a shelf. It will inform our strategies, ensuring that Nigerians’ voices shape how we are represented globally.
What are the key goals of the Nigeria Global Reputation Management Project, and how do you plan to achieve them?
This project has three main goals. First, to project Nigeria’s strengths. our entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and cultural leadership, so they become as globally recognised as our challenges. Second, to build trust by ensuring that what we communicate abroad aligns with the progress we are making at home. Third, to create a coordinated platform where government, business, civil society, and diaspora voices work together to tell a consistent, compelling story about Nigeria. We will implement a robust strategy that includes a national narrative framework, digital campaigns, media partnerships, diaspora engagement programmes, and consistent measurement of global sentiment. Rather than reinventing Nigeria’s story, we will finally, and strategically, amplify the story that is already being written every day by millions of Nigerians. And we will amplify it with clarity.
What role will partnerships or collaborations play in the project?
Strategic partnerships are at the heart of this project. We cannot succeed without the active involvement of the private sector, development partners, the diaspora, and culture leaders. International collaborations with UN agencies, multilateral banks, and global think tanks will give us reach and credibility. Locally, we will create alignment across ministries, businesses, and civic groups to ensure Nigeria speaks with one voice.
As a woman who reached great heights in her career, how do you believe organisations can better support and empower women in leadership roles?
Organisations must go beyond rhetoric to create structures that attract, retain and promote women. Ensuring the right mentorship pipelines, leadership training, flexible policies that accommodate work-life balance, and equal access to opportunities are helpful. I also strongly believe and in the course of my career, I have actively advocated women to be paid the same as men who perform similar roles. Empowering women shouldn’t be treated as a favour. It should be treated as an investment to unlock half of a nation’s talent pool.
What piece of advice would you give to young professionals aspiring to lead in the fields of public affairs, communications, and reputation management?
These fields demand leaders who can think strategically, communicate authentically, and act with credibility. Beyond mastering the fundamentals, the most important piece of advice I can offer is this, become a student of the context, not just the content. It is not enough to be a flawless writer or a sharp policy analyst. Leadership in our field demands a deep, nuanced understanding of the environment in which you’re operating. That means relentlessly studying the cultural, political, technological, and economic currents that shape public opinion. Before you craft a message, seek to understand the anxieties, hopes, and narratives of your audience. Before you develop a public affairs strategy, map the full spectrum of stakeholders, including those who oppose you, and genuinely understand their motivations. Your reputation will be built on trust, and that trust is earned by demonstrating that you comprehend the world your stakeholders live in, not just the message you want to put out there. Another word of advice is, be adaptable. Make sure you are up-to-date with the industry trends and technology. The communications field for instance, is constantly evolving. Digital technologies and AI are significantly changing the way we operate and the way information is consumed. Embrace this change and evolve alongside I or it will leave you behind.