The President, Congress of African Journalists (CAJ), Dr Christopher Isiguzo, has urged Nigerians to take greater ownership of the country’s narrative and ensure that its achievements receive adequate visibility alongside its challenges.
Isiguzo made the call on Thursday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address titled, “Reclaiming Nigeria’s Sovereign Narrative: Developing a PR-Media Strategy to Rebuild the Nation’s Brand Identity”.
The call was made at the “Monthly General Meeting” (MGM) of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), FCT Chapter.
He said Nigeria had abundant stories of talent, enterprise, culture, innovation and resilience, but these were often overshadowed internationally by narratives around corruption, insecurity, poverty and political instability.
“Nigeria does not have a shortage of stories. Nigeria has a shortage of ownership of its own story,” Isiguzo said.
He said the country’s challenges should not be denied, but stressed that they should not become the sole basis through which Nigeria was perceived by the rest of the world.
According to him, Nigeria must develop a credible national narrative that acknowledges its weaknesses while highlighting its achievements and potential.
“A sovereign narrative is not a beautiful lie. It is an authentic truth, strategically told,” he said.
Isiguzo said the first audience for Nigeria’s rebranding should be Nigerians themselves, noting that a country could not effectively convince the world to believe in its potential if its citizens had lost faith in it.
He urged journalists to continue holding those in power accountable while also reporting developments in science, technology, research, entrepreneurship and other sectors that demonstrated Nigeria’s capacity to contribute to Africa and the world.
He said the answer to negative coverage was not censorship but more complete journalism, adding that the media should provide context and ensure that Nigeria’s achievements received appropriate attention.
He also urged public relations practitioners to move beyond the traditional roles of writing press releases and organising news conferences to become strategic managers of reputation, data, crises and stakeholder relationships.
Isiguzo said PR practitioners should serve as a bridge between government policies and citizens by helping people understand the purpose, benefits, implications and risks of government programmes.
He said Nigeria should also strengthen its communication strategy by leveraging its growing technology, creative and entrepreneurial sectors, as well as the Nigerian diaspora.
He said this can help to present the country as a creator of value rather than merely a large consumer market.
Isiguzo proposed the creation of a permanent, professional and non-partisan “national story engine” that would bring together government, PR practitioners, journalists, businesses, academia, civil society, the creative industry, technology experts and the diaspora.
He said the relationship between journalism and public relations should remain complementary, with each profession maintaining its distinct responsibilities.
“Journalists should not become PR practitioners. And PR practitioners should not become journalists. When you are a journalist, be a journalist. When you are a PR practitioner, be a PR practitioner,” he said.
The CAJ president said reclaiming Nigeria’s narrative required communication to be matched by performance, stressing that the country could not simply use public relations to conceal its weaknesses.
He said Nigeria was not merely a country with problems to be solved but one with possibilities to be unlocked, urging stakeholders to help build a narrative that reflected both the country’s realities and its potential.
Earlier, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, Chairman, 2026 AGM Planning Committee, said the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference would focus on responsible leadership, strategic communication, nation building, public trust, innovation, sustainable development and good governance.
She also called for partnerships with corporate organisations and government establishments to support professional development workshops for members.
“Part of our deliberation is to see how we can approach corporate organisations and government establishments to sponsor the public relations workshop,” Ahmadu said.(NAN)
