Patricia ObozuwaManaging Director of the Nigeria Global Reputation Management Project, leads efforts to shape and project a positive image of Nigeria worldwide. He has played senior roles in Coca-Cola Africa and Ge Africa. In this interview with Yetunde AjanakuHe revealed how he built emblematic initiatives such as Ge Kujenga and the GE Lagos garage.
What is your approach to build relationships with national and international media to promote a favorable image of Nigeria?
Trust is the cornerstone of strong media relationships. We work with local and international media by providing precise data, stories of human interest and access to leaders and creators of Nigerian changes. Our approach is proactive instead of reagent … Ensure that journalists not only listen to stories promoted by crisis over Nigeria, but also stories of progress, culture and solutions.
How do you intend to involve the younger generations in the project, particularly in the configuration and exchange of Nigeria’s narrative?
Nigeria is a young nation, and our young people are our greatest narrators. We can involve them through digital challenges, creative ambassadors programs and training opportunities that allow them to cook narratives. We believe that when Nigerian young people share their stories, the world will listen.
How does local narratives balances with the expectations of the global public in their messages?
Balance local and global narratives requires authenticity. We must tell stories rooted in the Nigerian realities, our challenges and triumphs, while they are framed in a language that resonates worldwide. For example, a local innovation in Fintech can be presented as part of a global conversation about financial inclusion. Therefore, we do not change local history to fit a global mold. Instead, we translate its meaning. We ensure that the local content is respected and clear, but we highlight why it is important for the world. We show how the solutions, culture and creativity of Nigeria are relevant to the global public because they speak of shared human and economic interests. The key is alignment … stay faithful to who we are while we talk about what matters to the world.
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What strategies is intended to use to involve several interested parties, including the government, the private sector and the organization of civil society in the reputation management process?
Reputation management is more powerful when it is inclusive. Our strategy is reduced to three things; Shared property, structured dialogue and co-creation. Our strategy is to create platforms where the government, the private sector, civil society and young people can contribute to shape the history of Nigeria. This will include round tables of interested parties, joint campaigns and intersectoral associations. We will train them as cookers. We will provide the platform, digital tools, media connections and then amplify their authentic stories. The role of the government is not to control the narrative, but to cure and defend the incredible stories that Nigerians are already creating every day. It’s about going to tell the world about Nigeria to help Nigerians tell the world. The commitment must be bidirectional; We must listen as much as we communicate.
What can you say about Nigeria’s global reputation project?
It is a data -based national initiative designed to measure, administer and proactively improve Nigeria’s perception in the global stage. Promoted by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), it brings together government leaders, private sector and culture to align our national narrative with our economic and cultural realities, promoting investment, tourism and global influence.
How do you intend to collect and incorporate comments from citizens and interested parties about the image of Nigeria on the global stage?
Listening is essential for reputation management. We will establish feedback channels through citizen surveys, diaspora municipalities, monitoring of feelings in social networks and interested parties. And the comments will not sit on a shelf. It will inform our strategies, ensuring that the voices of the Nigerians shape how we are represented worldwide.
What are the key objectives of the Global Reputation Project of Nigeria and how does it plan to achieve them?
This project has three main objectives. First, to project Nigeria’s strengths … Our entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and cultural leadership, so they become as recognized worldwide as our challenges. Secondly, to generate trust ensuring that what we communicate abroad is aligned with the progress we are doing at home. Third, to create a coordinated platform where government, business, civil society and the voices of the diaspora work together to tell a consistent and convincing story about Nigeria. We will implement a solid strategy that includes a national narrative framework, digital campaigns, media associations, diaspora participation programs and a consistent measurement of global feeling. Instead of reinventing the story of Nigeria, finally, and strategically, we will amplify the story that is already being written every day by millions of Nigerians. And we will amplify it clearly.
What role will associations or collaborations play in the project?
Strategic associations are in the heart of this project. We cannot succeed without the active participation of the private sector, development partners, diaspora and culture leaders. International collaborations with UN agencies, multilateral banks and groups of global experts will scope and credibility. At the local level, we will create an alignment between the ministries, companies and civic groups to ensure that Nigeria speaks with one voice.
As a woman who reached great heights in her career, how do you think organizations can better support and empower women in leadership roles?
Organizations must go beyond rhetoric to create structures that attract, retain and promote women. Ensure appropriate tutoring pipes, leadership training, flexible policies that accommodate the balance between work and life and equal access to opportunities are useful. I also firmly believe and in the course of my career, I actively advocate women who are paid the same as men who play similar roles. Empowering women should not be treated as a favor. It should be treated as an investment to unlock half of the talent group of a nation.
What advice would you give to young professionals who aspire to lead the fields of public affairs, communications and reputation management?
These fields demand leaders who can think strategically, communicate authentically and act credibility. Beyond dominating the foundations, the most important advice I can offer is to become a student of the context, not only in the content. It is not enough to be an impeccable writer or an acute policy analyst. Leadership in our field demands a deep and nuanced understanding of the environment in which it is operating. That means relentlessly studying cultural, political, technological and economic currents that shape public opinion. Before preparing a message, seek to understand the anxieties, hopes and stories of your audience. Before developing a public affairs strategy, assign the complete spectrum of interested parties, including those who oppose you, and really understand your motivations. Your reputation will be based on trust, and that trust will be obtained by demonstrating that you understand the world in which your interested parties live, not only the message you want to send. Another advice is, be adaptable. Be sure to be updated with the trends and technology of the industry. The communications field, for example, is constantly evolving. Digital technologies and AI are significantly changing the way we operate and the way the information is consumed. Hug this change and evolve next to I or will leave you behind.
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