Nigeria’s moment to shine: Strategic PR opportunities for Africa’s giant

In a previous article I wrote in 2020 titled ‘A global brand positioning strategy for Nigeria,’ I argued that Nigeria was not just the largest country in Africa with a population of over 200 million people, it also has a larger percentage of arable land (33 percent) than any other country in Africa. With this advantage, I added that Nigeria could become the Food Basket of Africa.

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It was Alfred Paul Ries (1926 – 2022), the foremost American marketing professional and author, who taught me the secrets of building successful global brands and he told me that Nigeria can become an economic power in the world, citing Singapore and China as case studies.

Al Ries was the cofounder and chairman of the Atlanta-based consulting firm, Ries & Ries with his partner and daughter, Laura Ries. They visited Nigeria in the past, and their firm consults for Fortune 500 companies.

Ries, who passed away on October 7, 2022 – five weeks before his 96th birthday on November 14, 2022 – inspired me to write my next book. Before becoming the king of global advertising and marketing strategy, Ries had a degree in mathematics from DePauw University, a private university in Greencastle, Indiana, USA.

The division of labor leads to specialization, expertise, dexterity, and machinery, thereby producing greater wealth.

Al, in his emails to me, always connected the dots linking public relations, marketing and advertising. In an interview Shola Oshunkeye, publisher of Crest online newspaper and I conducted with Al, we asked him how nations gain prosperity. Al said the answer to the question was in the book, ‘The Wealth of Nations’ written by Adam Smith in 1776, which he called the best book on the subject.

Al wrote: “The division of labor leads to specialization, expertise, dexterity, and machinery, thereby producing greater wealth.

“But there is a limit. As it is the power of exchanging that gives occasion to the division of labor, so the extent of this division must always be limited by the extent of the market. In other words, it is specialization that produces wealth and the degree of specialization is limited by the size of the market.

“That’s why larger countries are economically more successful than smaller countries. That’s why America, the largest country in South and North America, is also the most successful country in South and North America. And Germany, the largest country in Europe, is also the most successful country in Europe.

“But there is a solution to the problem of size. It involves marketing your brands to the world instead of just your own country.” In plain language, Al simply said a country doesn’t get rich by selling things to each other; a country gets rich by selling things to people in other countries.

The key message here is that Nigeria, being the largest country in Africa, can also become the most successful country in Africa. Based on available data, it is evident that we can, and it is possible. That’s where I stand, but we must be ready to do the “right things” through a sincere and transformational leadership across all tiers of government.

Framing our “success” as the giant of Africa can be seen in varying contexts. Two examples would suffice: a.) what makes Nigeria a special place in the world, and b.) showcase our economic potentials that can attract investors.

Using the above contexts, we can renew conversations around Nigeria’s “huge economic potential” and do something about it, especially in terms of PR opportunities, e.g. selling our strategic positioning as the “Greenest Nation in Africa” created by Al Ries.

Our natural endowments in agriculture and tourism formed the basis of the positioning statement. It is God’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Indeed, Nigeria has a lot of “goodies” in the basket to offer the world as we mark 65 years of nationhood. The overarching branding strategy must focus on leveraging the nation’s diverse cultural nuances and economic strengths while adapting to digital transformation and consumer preferences like sustainability and personalisation.

Key components of the strategy should include our agricultural advantage (leverage Nigeria’s significant arable land to develop global food brands by focusing on one category at a time); cultural authenticity (use storytelling and emotional appeal to connect with diverse audiences, highlighting Nigerian creativity, resilience, and local heritage), and demographic advantage (engage the tech-savvy youth demographic by prioritising digital marketing and online customer experiences).

It is also important to understand our diverse consumer behaviour by analysing the specific needs, cultural nuances and regional preferences within Nigeria’s large population to segment and target consumers effectively.

By conducting a thorough competitive analysis, we can identify unique value propositions that can differentiate Nigerian brands, and capitalise on the expanding e-commerce market to create an immersive online presence.

In addition, we need to integrate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and block chain to enhance branding, customer engagement, and personalised marketing efforts.

We should also remember that these initiatives must be culturally sensitive and resonate with local values while retaining a universal appeal for global markets. It is essential to maintain consistent brand messaging across all platforms to build trust and recognition within Nigeria’s competitive environment.

As Nigerian consumers are becoming increasingly discerning and concerned with environmental issues, we do not lose anything by incorporating sustainable practices into the branding strategy and use data to deliver personalised marketing messages and experiences, catering to individual consumer needs and preferences.

What Al Ries also told me during our marketing strategy discourse was that successful brands focus on the customer, not the competition.

Before he died in Atlanta, USA, Al taught basic marketing principles in over 70 countries. This is an opportunity for researchers to explore what Al meant by being “customer-oriented.”

He also said that great brands are built by being different, not necessarily better. How is Nigeria different from other African countries? We have more arable land which signals a massive opportunity to build global food brands.

I will say it for the umpteenth time that Nigeria is a great country and we do not have any other country to call our own. I concede that we have had too many missed opportunities with a disappointing political elite who have refused to lead by example. I keep wondering why those who lead us we cannot create wealth for Nigerians.

My view is that they deliberately refuse to see the opportunities around them because they are more interested in the primitive accumulation of wealth for themselves, families, and cronies. Unfortunately, the next election is always more important than building social capital at the community level.

The shenanigans of politicians are painful, but we should also learn to look on the brighter side of things. We also have a role to play by changing the way we “think” and “behave.” My friend and brother in the United States, Nosa, is asking all Nigerians to embrace “culture change and ethical transformation” as the irreducible minimum requirement to achieve greatness. I agree with him.

In my next article, I will explain why Nigeria holds a special place in the world. In spite of our current economic hardships and uncertainty, some Nigerians are thriving in various sectors of the economy because they are determined to overcome the numerous challenges. For them, no more lamentations.

The story of Mrs. Uwem Asibeluo, an imaginative fashion entrepreneur using Ankara fabric exclusively in all her designs to shape her brand identity, readily comes to mind. We used our media platforms to tell her story and promote her creativity and enterprise recently.

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“Our brand exists to bridge traditional and contemporary fashion, making Ankara a stylish choice for every day, and everywhere,” Uwem, founder of April Wind Couture, explained in her story.

As much as possible, we should all commit to promoting the Nigerian brand by highlighting the country’s unique strengths, opportunities and successes.

Ehi Braimah

Braimah is a public relations specialist, marketing strategist and media entrepreneur. He is the publisher/editor-in-chief of Naija Times (https://ntm.ng) and Lagos Post (https://lagospost.ng), and can be reached via ehi.braimah@neomedia.com.ng.