One of the primary challenges faced by developing countries in the international sphere is the issue of bad image and discrimination.

This particular issue is often associated with poverty of the developing countries being unindustrialized nations with devastating economy. However, the devastating economy of these nations has made the citizens to continue to dwell in abject poverty and always looking for other means of enriching themselves.

In the case of Nigeria, bad government, lack of proper management, corruption, child abuse, rape, robbery, terrorism, cultism, oil-pipe vandalism, hooliganism, kidnapping, prostitution, political instability, unstable power supply, unemployment among others has remained the major ills that is damaging the image of Nigeria in the international sphere. However, Nigeria media also complicate these issues by providing unhealthy in-dept analysis to these ills.

With the advent and global usage of internet and social media, Nigerians (youth especially) have been perceived as fraudsters and thieves in the international communities, according to research, this is due to the unemployment of youths in Nigeria.

However, the opinion that all Nigerians are thieves, 419ers, Fraudsters, could be proved wrong, by carefully adopting the procedures of rebranding Nigeria with the help of international broadcast station like VON and NTA. At this juncture, the media among others is a focal point for Public relations and branding building.

While local broadcast stations are persuading youth to venture into entrepreneurship and encourage self empowerment and employment, the international broadcast stations can on a continuously basis packaging and delivering messages that will help revive the image of the country in the international sphere.

Over time, The Nigerian government has attributes its inabilities to attract sufficient foreign investments and tourists, in spite of her vast potentials, to the negative image of the country in the international community. An average Nigerian is perceived as a criminal or fraudster anywhere he/she goes around the world while Nigeria and Nigerians are considered unsafe to do business with.

Research has it that in order to correct the negative image of the nation and its debilitating consequences, the federal government has since 2004 embarked on a number of projects aimed at launching the image of the country. The first was the “Nigeria Image Project” launched in July, 2004 by Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu as Minister of Information and National Orientation. In July 2005, Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr. had taken over from Chief Chikelu and launched the “Heart of Africa” (HOA) project to replace Chief Chikelu’s pet project. In February 2009, Professor Dora Akunyili launched the “Rebranding Nigeria Project” as a weapon to win the image war.

In view of the above analysis, it is obvious that individuals have tried on their own to salvage the image of the country, but the war is not a war for individuals, it is a war that only the influential media can combat and win. And for the media to combat and win the war, the following highlighted issues are what the media should do to help salvage the image of the country.

GOOD PROGRAMMING:      Overtime, Nigerians themselves have criticized the poor programme and programming of Nigeria broadcast stations, especially that of NTA octopus. The station, being a government station that has access to constant funding, is supposed to package better and interesting programme. However, for Nigeria’s international broadcast stations, VON, NTA/NTAI, AIT, TVC, LTV to help salvage the image of Nigeria, the stations should package interesting programme that will constantly help to portray Nigeria in good light to the international communities. Also, the local stations, state owned broadcast stations, including the print, should continuously promoting programmes/analysis that will help Nigerians develop the country and not a sort of violent movies and criminal scenes.

For international broadcast stations like Channels, NTAI, VON, TVC, AIT and a host of other Nigerian broadcast stations that are broadcasting on cable; Pictures, videos, images, personalities, tourist attractive centers and beautiful places in Nigeria can constantly be shown on these International stations for the international community to perceive Nigeria as a beautiful and serene country filled with beautiful people of kind character. VON, being a Federal Government radio station, can also assist other International television stations in terms of news packaging and reporting by slightly reporting hard news, issues that has to do with terrorism, kidnapping, oil-pipe vandalism, child abuse, rape; and place prominence on issues like developments, economy, government policies, culture, Nigeria heritage, and other civil issues. The actual reportage of criminal issues makes the international community to perceive Nigeria as a country filled with poverty and unhealthy struggle. Meanwhile, other countries of the world suffers more havoc in their own country but they use their international broadcast media to present their selves the way they want the international community to perceive them. Therefore, Nigeria’s international broadcast stations should do the same to salvage the image of the country.

BETTER DIGITALLY COMPLIANT EQUIPMENT: It is highly alarming that since the announcement of digital switch over since 2004, majority of Nigeria broadcast stations are yet to migrate from terrestrial broadcasting to digital transmission. Surprisingly VON and NTA International, being government broadcast station that have access to constant funding, is yet to migrate. Meanwhile these stations should be equipped with the best of equipment that will enable the station package and send messaged to their international audience. Sophisticated devices would help them do well in foreign correspondence and news packaging and news delivery to international audience. Sophisticated devices will enable Nigeria international broadcast stations send crystal pictures, clear and audible sound to their international audience. To achieve these, there is need for the station to purchase better and 21^st centuy digital equipment, enabling devices, and also digitalized their studios (not boards and green backdrops as croma)

The studio of Nigeria international broadcast stations should be rebranded and restructured and fashioned to meet international standard. So that when international audience watch or listen to programs on these stations, they will want to keep watching and listening to program on the stations.

TRAINING OF REPORTERS (FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE): NBC and VON should train more competent correspondents who will be able to provide accurate and good analysis on issues happening in the international scene. Majority of international stations don’t always make use of their citizens to report news or run programs. For example, CCTV uses eloquent and beautiful presenters and news casters, who are either an Americans, Africans with majority of them being Chinese. However, Nigeria can make use of competent foreigners who are competent and eloquent in news and programme reportage to report issues on the culture of Nigeria and desist from using broadcaster and presenter whose accent have intonation of local dialect. The use of reporters and presenters whose accent has intonation of local dialect will not encourage international audience to listen to programs on Nigerian international broadcast station. If they are being used, there is no how international audience will listen to information or programme designed to correct the bad image of the country.

GOOD GRAPHIC PRESENTATION: Presently, the poor level of graphic usage on the screen of most of Nigeria international broadcast stations, especially NTA is very alarming that internal audience will prefer to switch to other foreign stations instead of their indigenous broadcast stations. However, for these stations to gain more international audience there is need for the stations to improve on the graphics, color combination, special effect and sound effect used on Nigeria international broadcast stations, including the local stations.

Beautiful graphics are known to call attention of people and majority of the international broadcast stations have been using this tool to lure people into listening and watching programs on their stations. Thereby luring people to stay glued and listen to their deliberately planned programs on their stations.

MULTITASKING PERSONNEL: Nigeria international broadcast stations should employ multi-tasking personnel who can give the station ideas on how to improve its programs that will help salvage the image of Nigeria in the international communities.

Above all, if Nigerian’s international broadcast stations can provide all these, intellectual programmes that can help salvage the image of Nigeria can therefore be carefully and thoughtfully put together so that international audience can learn, through the programme, about the beauty of Nigerian women as against their dirty perception; the strength of Nigerian men as against the animalistic perception, the serenity of Nigeria as against the hostile perception, the richness of Nigerian food as against the malnutrition of poor kids, the intelligence of Nigerian children as against the child trafficking perception, the growth of Nigeria economy as against the Naira devaluation perception, the opportunities in Nigeria as against the troublesome perception, the greatness of Nigeria as against the poverty perception; then, Nigeria will be at the verge of redeeming her image in the international scene.

By OLASUNKANMI IDOGUN