Nigeria calling on US for misconception help

Nigeria has an enduring reputation as an exporter of criminals, drug lords, terrorists and immigrants. Such perceptions are only amplified by the recent attempted bombing of a US-bound plane on Christmas Day by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian, or the arrests every year of various Nigerian drug lords in countries around the world.

Organized crime, corruption, poverty and human rights abuses are just some of the recurring themes that soil the image of Nigeria abroad.

Indeed, the country’s reputation with the international community is one that is not favorable at all, and indeed the country’s tourism industry has suffered as international travelers shy away from a country perceived as unstable and unsafe.

This was a fact hit upon by Richard Bowden, a British journalist in his book “Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles”. Bowden, who is a veteran of Nigerian and African issues and political current events, argues that the continent is more promising, has more to offer and is making more progress on many societal issues, than the international media often suggests.

He has been criticized for replying on negatives to present a positive: there is less war, less poverty, less political instability and less disease killing off the continents children, but these are important points that must nonetheless be made. Africa is not a disease-riddled, war-torn, poverty-stricken continent any more than Nigeria or South Africa or Egypt are.

The continent in recent years has given birth politically stable and economically viable countries like Rwanda (more famous for its genocide than its economic progress) and Botswana (treated like a province of South Africa, but in fact one of the strongest economies on the continent).

Nigeria is painted with the same brush that these progressive countries bristle beneath. Most Africans do not want sympathy and neither do Nigerians, but what is especially damaging is the contempt and even disgust of the rest of the world and it is this which is currently plaguing Nigeria.

The significance of this was recently underlined by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, who pointed out that negative perceptions of the country were one of the most dangerous threats to the country’s future.

“The unconstructive and prejudicial negative portrayals, images and generalizations of the country that are syndicated through global media networks and by journalists with new stories to tell totally ignore the progress that the country has made against all odds,” said Ajumogobia in Washington during an event hosted by the Council of Foreign Relations.

The minister addressed assembled delegates and presented a paper called Challenges and Prospects: Perception and Reality of Nigeria at 50. During that address he called upon the United States for help in redressing the negative stereotypes breeding in the international media, while acknowledging that such perceptions were a symptom of the challenges that still face the country.

The issue is not one of racism or xenophobia, indeed the Nigerian news media are as critical of the country as the international news houses, rather the problem is one of scope. News out of Nigeria for international consumption is consistently negative, stories on African generally only make the main headlines of news outlets if something terribly negative has happened.

Therefore, the only time people outside of African hear about Nigeria or the wider continent is when there is something terrible to report, which creates the perception that only terrible things take place in this continent and indeed this country of 150 million people, this country of beautiful beaches, of rich culture and peaceful settlements, of world heritage sites and lush rolling forested hills, this country of immense and undiscovered diversity.

In calling on America to help Nigeria broaden perspectives about the country abroad, the minister pointed out that official statements and comments by the US government were consumed by a wide range of media outlets.

“For one thing the US can help us in countering some of these destructive negative stereotypes. America’s perspectives and official pronouncements influence opinions and decisions in board rooms around the world.”

The minister went on to acknowledge that much criticism of the country is just and well-founded.

“There is in fact palpable frustration, even anger, amongst some of Nigeria's best friends that progress has not occurred fast enough in a country that providence appears to have favored. To those friends and well wishers, let me say this: we truly appreciate and understand your concern and sometimes visceral criticisms of our suboptimal performance as a country.”

As though in response to Nigeria’s appeal, the United States government recently officially acknowledged the part played by the country as a strategic global partner of the US and hailed its ongoing efforts to maintain peace and stability on the continent.

“Nigeria is a key strategic partner, not only in Africa but globally. It is Africa’s most populous nation, its largest democracy, a significant contributor to peacekeeping efforts across the continent, a crucial partner for economic growth, trade and direct investment with the United States,” said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a press conference held with Odein Ajumogobia by her side.

Nigeria, like South Africa and a number of other regional powers in Africa, has thousands of troops posted on missions throughout the continent to maintain peace and security in various troubled parts of Africa. The government has also made efforts to secure the Niger Delta, renowned for its militant activity and secure the country’s borders from drug smugglers.

However, the problems of human rights abuses, poverty, corruption and organized crime remain and these will continue to tarnish the country’s image until the government is seen to be doing something to redress such problems. In the international media an African country cannot quietly go about fixing itself up like Rwanda or Botswana, it must be seen to be doing these things as well.