Photo Caption:
(L-R) Ambassador Adebowale Adefuye, Nigerian Ambassador to the
United States; President Goodluck Jonathan; High Chief Edem Duke, Minister of
Culture and Tourism of Nigeria and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson,
member US House of Representatives from Texas during the launch of the
International leg of Nigeria, Our Heritage Project at the John F.
Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts,
Washington DC recently.
By Jimoh
Babatunde
President Goodluck
Jonathan has said that the ‘Nigeria, Our Heritage Project’ will overhauls the
country’s image globally and promote the country’s tourism and cultural
heritage.
Speaking
at the launch of the project in Washington D.C recently, the President said the
project would celebrate the rich cultural inheritance and vast economic
endowment of Nigeria, he regretted that Nigeria had come under global media
conspiracy that brought humiliation for the country.
President
Jonathan said “The project is a message to every Nigerian that we have a duty
to ensure that Nigeria is not only what it should be but what others see it as.
We have to be holistic in the way we look at things, especially our culture”.
The
‘Nigeria, Our Heritage Project’ meant to convey some form of positive news
about the nation to the international community is being championed by the
Ministry of Tourism & Culture and a group of Nigerian private and corporate
individuals.
The
project was first unveiled in Abuja last month with support from over fifteen
private companies, states and the foreign Affairs ministry before it was taken
to the international stage last week in Washington D.
The
Minister of Tourism, Edem Duke, expressed optimism that the project would
support and uphold the cardinal principles of his ministry as he called for an
increased partnership with Nigerian companies, the media and government in a
bid to lead the race towards revamping Nigeria as an investment destination in
the world.
“We,
therefore, seek for the partnership of companies which are proud of Nigeria,
the media, local and international agencies, Nigerians in Diaspora,
institutions of government and state governments to be part of this project by
identifying with our avowed commitment to lead the race towards revamping the
global dignity of Nigeria as an investment destination.
“We
believe that time has come for the private sector and notable Nigerians from
all walks of life to take the front row in shaping the future of Nigeria
economically, socially and otherwise because all over the world, government
makes policies and create enabling environment for growth but the private
sector is the substructure that shapes the economy, “ Duke stated.
The
Washington D.C. event, dubbed ‘an evening of entertainment’, which marked the
first plank of a novel approach to the country’s holistic national branding
project, had in attendance Nigeria’s Ambassador to USA, and several Nigerian
celebrities, notably Don Jazzy, Rita Dominic, Ali Nuhu, Davido, Flavour, Tiwa
Savage, Tee Billz, Masterkraft, Tola Odunsi, Leslie Kasumba, Di’Ja, Lola
Ogunnaike, Obi Asika, Hakeem Kae-Kazim and Ubi Franklin, among others.
The Chairman
of the Project’s Governing Board, Professor George Obiozor, said “Nigeria: Our
Heritage Project is conceived as an enduring movement to engender a positive
global perception change for Nigeria, such that Nigeria would be enabled
internally and externally, to realize her full potentials.”
The
project, he added “will be activated by 100 proudly Nigerian public and private
organizations that will catalyze the strategic repositioning of Nigeria as a
nation.” And this seems to be paying off already, judging by the number and
caliber of the individuals and organisations that have already lined up behind
the project.
Jim
O’Neil, who coined the acronym ‘BRICS,’ for emerging markets economies, Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa, has projected that Nigeria may be one of
the 13 biggest world economies by 2050.
Obiozor
and his group hope Nigeria’s economy would rank in the top five by 2114, when
Nigeria would be celebrating its second centenary. It’s good that a private
initiative like the NOHP is planning big for Nigeria’s future. If you aim for
the skies, you might hit the treetop.
The spirit
of Nigeria’s centenary, swirling in the air, should galvanize and give hope to
the people of Nigeria. It should put cynical Nigerians back to work again. One
good way to get Nigerians mobilized is to tie the national branding cause to
things that appeal to and define the uniqueness of the peoples that make up the
Nigerian nation state.
This is
not talking about ‘stomach infrastructure,’ but creating enabling environments
for every Nigerian to use as leverage for individual economic prosperity and
cultural or nationalistic pride. After all, the home front is important. If
this project is handled in a non partisan way, it could mobilize the entire
country for peace, prosperity and the good life.
A
compendium of Nigeria’s heritage that will include music, dance, costumes, food
and natural sites will be put in hardcopy of 100 limited copies as part of the
next plant of the project.
It was
also revealed that there will be a road show that will take Nigeria’s ancient
and contemporary arts abroad for appreciation by the international community as
well as a video documentary series, ‘Fascinating Nigeria’ that will visually
convey, in motion, Nigeria’s rich heritage and scenic sites to the
international audience.
- See more at:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/nigeria-heritage-project-sell-nigerias-tourism-jonathan/#sthash.ZFaKBnLx.dpuf
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