Specialists in brand marketing have expressed concern over the failure of most of the 36 component states of Nigeria to create distinction about them, in order to attract domestic and foreign investments.
The experts say that all but a few of the 36 states are aloof about destination branding, due to the oil revenue allocation they get from the Federal Government.
Destination branding, according to analysts, means positioning the product or the state in the minds of investors and tourists. “Positioning is the act of designing the state’s image to occupy a distinctive place in the target market’s mind.”
Analysts further say that “destination branding is a process used to develop a unique identity and personality that is different from all competitive destinations”, noting that “branding is perhaps the most powerful marketing weapon available to contemporary destination marketers”
Presently, most countries, including South Africa , Kenya , Ghana and India are deeply involved in destination branding on a regular basis, to attract foreign investors who are searching for adequate investing environments, but Nigerian states appear tepid and unenthusiastic about trends in the global marketing, especially about building positive brand identities, to lure local and foreign investors.
Regretting the aloofness attached to destination branding by some states, Azuka Onwuka, a brand analyst, said it is unfortunate that Nigerian states are not creating uniqueness about themselves. “For tourists and investors to visit any state in Nigeria , they must have heard positive things about that state. But all they hear are of crimes, bomb explosions and these are discouraging.”
On why they are not bothered about creating positive messages about themselves which could attract investors, Onwuka attributed this to crude oil money Every month they share billions of Naira from the Federal allocation in Abuja and this has literally closed their eyes to other opportunities, he said.
He regretted that since the Federal Government was not pushing for destination branding, the states in turn have remained lukewarm. “Some other nations do not have as much resources as Nigerian states, but they are cynosures to international visitors because of branding”, he said.
Charles Igbinidu, managing director of TpT International, a PR firm based in Lagos , said:”Oil money has made us very lazy”.
He said Nigerian states were not serious about destination branding because of oil money from Abuja.
“The discovery of oil and the fact that the government at the centre took custody of oil money and was responsible for sharing the money, made the entire country very lazy. What the different tiers of government do, is to wait for the end of the month to go to Abuja to collect oil money. State governors do not look inward or tap the resources inherent in their states.
“I make bold to say that until we start practising fiscal federalism, the country will not live up to its true potential”.
Igbinidu said as far as destination branding was concerned, no state government appeared serious about it: “When Donald Duke was the Governor of Cross River State, he displayed some measure of seriousness about promoting tourism. Since his tenure ended, Nigerians have heard little about that”.
According to analysts in marketing communications, Nigerian states can create landing spots for investors from other states or countries, who want to relocate for various reasons. The analysts observe however, that almost no state is sending out messages promoting its investment potentialities.
It is suggested that the states could use their state slogans as is inscribed on motor vehicle registration plates, as branding platforms.
The analysts said that where there are efforts to rebrand, such efforts are not sustained.
Recently, South Africa used two Nigerians in its destination tourism campaign to endorse that country as truly the African giant, and this attracted criticism in Nigerian circles. Marketing practitioners said this indicates how far countries can go to promote their nations.
