Since the days of Military Government in Nigeria, Successive governments have always introduced one Re-branding project or the order. But it is unfortunate that at every attempt, it fails woefully simply because the government lack sincerity of purpose.In accordance with what has become a ritual, on Thursday,
September 8, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the national re-orientation
campaign tagged “Change begins with me” at the Presidential Banquet hall in
Abuja. We tak a look of similiar Re-branding projects initiated by the past governments and how it ended up
.
1. Do The Right Thing: Transform Nigeria
This project was
launched in 2012 by former president Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Jonathan made
this move in a bid to fight against insecurity during that period. He made this
call to Nigerians, seeking for an attitudinal change among Nigerians, in
tackling corruption in the country. Former president Jonathan launched a
re-branding campaign which was an attempt to portray Nigerians as good people.
2. Heart of Africa project
The Heart of Africa
project was launched during the administration of former president, Olusegun
Obasanjo. The project took off in an effort to market Nigeria on the
international scene. During this period, Obasanjo toured different countries,
selling Nigeria abroad. A huge amount of money was spent on placing on adverts
and other expensive foreign media outlets to promote Nigeria. The project was
unsuccessful because the brand Nigeria was done outwardly not inwardly.
3. Good People Great Nation
The ‘Good people
great nation’ campaign was a project initiative by the then Minister of
Information and Communications, Late Dora Akunyili. Professor Akunyili agenda
was to reposition and reinvent Nigeria. But
her efforts attracted wide criticism and at the same time applause within the
country and even beyond. The late information minister, Dora Akunyuli’s
re-branding project ended up in fiasco.
4. Mass Mobilization for Self Reliance,
Social Justice, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER)
This program was
launched during military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida in July 25, 1987.
Introduced as part of the transition program of the regime, with the sole aim
of giving Nigerians and Nigeria a new beginning, MAMSER had on board eminent
Nigerians who have excelled in their various areas of calling in both private
and public lives. But this program ended up a failure.
5. War Against Indiscipline (WAI)
The war against
indiscipline was introduced by General Muhammadu Buhari in 1983. The program
identified indiscipline as the bane of the nation’s ills and was ready to fight
it. The attempt to whip Nigerians into line through the War Against
Indiscipline led to Buhari ouster as a military ruler.
6. Ethical Revolution
Ethical Revolution
was a program initiative of Alhaji Shehu Shagari due to his concern on ethical
decay and indiscipline in the Nigerian society then. The corrupt politicians of
President Shehu Shagari’s era made nonsense of his ethical revolution project.
7. War Against Indiscipline & Corruption
(WAIC)
War against
indiscipline & corruption was a program launched under General Sani
Abacha’s Regime, on May 4, 1994. His aim was to put a stop to the issue of indiscipline
and corruption. Abacha’s brutish
dictatorship ended his war against indiscipline and corruption.
8. Operation Feed The Nation
The Operation Feed
the Nation program was introduced in 1976–80 by General Olusegun Obasanjo.
Obasanjo’s aim was to sought to increase local food production and thereby
reduce imports. Citizens were encouraged to cultivate then. Launched by the
Federal Military Government of Nigeria, after two years of operation, the
scheme did not achieve the expected goals. Poster of
Obasanjo’s operation feed the nation which critics said transformed to Obasanjo
Farm in Ota.
With all these failed
campaigns to re-order Nigerians value system, will the Buhari’s new change
campaign work? Will be another exercise in futility? Only time will tell…
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