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Digg it UP - Rebranding Nigeria's Cities
Have you ever recruited someone who looked good at interview only to find out when they started that they “Were not up to it” or, “They just didn’t seem to fit in”. Most of us have made these mistakes (if you haven’t, then you are probably new to management). Why?• We often rely too much on the interview as the main selection process, or• We place too much emphasis on professional credentials at the expense of ability to do the job and best values fit, or• We recruit too often “in our own likeness”.What’s the best way of finding out whether someone can do the job? Try them out. Not all of us have the resources to be able to “give someone a go”, unless we are recruiting for a position such as “air traffic controller”. As a regular flyer, I know that I would be worried if the recruitment process for air traffic controllers relied principally on the interview! Having worked with a number of air traffic controllers, I now rest easy knowing that a major part of the selection process is simulations of actual flight control. So, if you have the resources, go for simulation.Without simulations, we must still rely on the interview. Unfortunately, numerous studies suggest that the interview (by itself) is an ineffective selection method. Why? Let me pose the question – “How similar is an interview to the type of work the person is expected to do?” If interviewing is not a major part of the normal day to day activities of the position for which you are recruiting, then the select
Another state which recently impressed is Kwara state. Kudos to the state governor, Bukola Saraki who has managed to attract sacked Zimbabwean farmers to the state, and have kept faith with them despite the criticisms his government received over the move. Some of the criticisms were rather unfair and seemed ill-informed as the potential economic benefits to the state and her citizens were obviously overlooked by the critics. The Kwara state government recently scored another PR coup which would help project the image of the state further; it successfully exploited the opportunity of the ThisDay music festival and invited the star attraction Jay-Z to Kwara state to commission some government projects. During his visit to the state, Jay-Z was honoured by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and also had a road named after him - Shawn "Jay - Z" Carter Road.
It is indeed a positive thing for the state to have Jay-Z dressed up in native aso oke attire riding the traditional horse during his turbanning ceremony.
During the past 10 years I have had the good fortune to coach a number of good clients. About 17 percent of the individuals who have entrusted themselves to me have been Chief Executives or Main Board Directors of corporations with turnovers counted in the hundreds of millions.Coaching is like most other businesses in that the coach needs to keep learning and progressing in order to stay up with the game. One of the most valuable sources of knowledge is one’s clients.This is especially true when you are coaching people who are already very successful. You notice what they do and how they think and adopt some of their best traits into your coaching toolkit.There is one really noticeable difference between highly successful executives and those I would term “ordinary managers.” They are prepared to act and make changes in the way they behave. In other words they are not stuck in behavioural ruts.When you agree a plan of action, with clear, well defined goals with a good client, you can be sure that they will start to implement it straight away.And, importantly, they also go further than simply implementing their new strategy; they can also be relied upon to keep behaving in the new way until it becomes a new habit. In other words they make it an automatic reaction to a given situation.Their new habitual behaviour quickly replaces the old behaviour that was causing them problems.I recently had first hand experience of how effective it is when you change a habit. When
Since the Nigerian government launched the Nigeria Image Project in 2004, which was subsequently re-branded The Heart of Africa Project, not much has been seen from the respective local and state governments in the direction of formulating strategies to attract foreign investors and tourists to their various towns, villages and states. This overwhelming notion that place branding rests with the centre amounts to defeatist and faulty logic because according to Tom Traynor & Ro Breehl ‘every place does have some distinction, some reason to live there, work there, vacation there, rather than some other place’. They also argue that finding that ‘true compelling claim of distinction’ can be hard work which lots of tourism boards, city councils, business improvement districts aren’t prepared for, ‘preferring instead to move directly to (inevitably drab) advertising execution’. This line of least resistance appears to be the one towed by Nigeria’s state and local government officials.
There are many benefits to states and local governments who make conscious efforts to market their regions both to internal and external stakeholders. If the governments in these states and local governments can institute sound fiscal policies and invest in infrastructures, the job of selling their places becomes easier. The starting point would be the development of a branding framework and strategy encompassing their distinctive cultural, tourism, human capital, economic, educational and personality assets. The second stage would be the implementation of the strategy by appointed marketing communication professionals working closely with the commissioners of information and strategy; the local governments could also do a similar thing by appointing qualified supervising councillors to head the information and communication units of the local governments.
The respective state governors and local government chairmen having recognised the strategic importance of managing their brand assets could also set up small committees headed by marketing communication professionals, to coordinate their various place branding efforts. Appointing non-professionals to such positions purely on political grounds is actually counter –productive and could undermine their prospects of reaping the benefits of economic development which strategic place branding may attract.
Donald Duke, the saxophone playing governor of Cross River state provides a good model for other states and local governments in Nigeria to copy. He has consciously pursued a policy of shying away from controversy since he became the governor of the state. This has helped ensure that his reputation remains quite intact as he has not been named or mentioned in any media report, nor by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as one of the corrupt governors. This is quite encouraging as the same can not be said about his colleagues.
Governor Duke’s admirers cut across different age groups and gender, not only because of his boyish looks, social savvy and bespoke fashion sense but also because he is one of the few governors that have actually implemented programmes that have directly impacted on the lives of his people. He has gone a step further with his Tinapa project (Africa’s premier business resort); a project which when completed would put his state and Nigeria on the map of world tourism. The state government has also set up well-designed and maintained websites – www.tinapa.com and www.crossriverstate.com which serves as its windows to the world. The calabar and Cross River brands have steadily improved as strong Nigerian brands during Governor Duke’s stay at the government house.
Nigeria’s many states and local governments should indeed take advantage of emerging technologies such as the internet and incorporate them as governance tools, many do not yet have functioning websites, and for some that do, their sites lack the professional touch that would help enhance their overall brand image.
Another state which recently impressed is Kwara state. Kudos to the state governor, Bukola Saraki who has managed to attract sacked Zimbabwean farmers to the state, and have kept faith with them despite the criticisms his government received over the move. Some of the criticisms were rather unfair and seemed ill-informed as the potential economic benefits to the state and her citizens were obviously overlooked by the critics. The Kwara state government recently scored another PR coup which would help project the image of the state further; it successfully exploited the opportunity of the ThisDay music festival and invited the star attraction Jay-Z to Kwara state to commission some government projects. During his visit to the state, Jay-Z was honoured by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and also had a road named after him - Shawn "Jay - Z" Carter Road.
It is indeed a positive thing for the state to have Jay-Z dressed up in native aso oke attire riding the traditional horse during his turbanning ceremony.
Everyone starts to consider goals for the future when the year comes to an end. You may be in a position where you have been considering starting up your own business, or you may have a business but are ready to take it to the next level, but for one reason or another have been putting off the steps necessary to ‘go there’. You have to set goals to make it reality, however. Often fear is what holds us back from setting goals. What if you fail? Or what if you succeed?? You want it but it scares you terribly!Less than three percent of all Americans have written down goals. Eight out of 10 businesses fail within the first 3 years because a surprising number begin their businesses without creating any plans.They say that if you don’t plan out your journey, you can’t get there. If you envision your business going somewhere, how do you know where ‘there’ is without that plan written down? Another saying is ‘Failure to plan is a plan for failure’. But if you never set up your plan, you can’t fail, right? However, then you will look back at your life, 20-40 years from now and find yourself saying, ‘I wish I had…’ Life is too short to allow yourself to limit your possibilities.I believe that we all really can achieve anything that we believe is possible. We do need to plan for those dreams, however, and be realistic. Just thinking about them will not make them reality, and just opening the doors and saying we’re in business will not make our dreams a success. We create our own reality, whet
There are many benefits to states and local governments who make conscious efforts to market their regions both to internal and external stakeholders. If the governments in these states and local governments can institute sound fiscal policies and invest in infrastructures, the job of selling their places becomes easier. The starting point would be the development of a branding framework and strategy encompassing their distinctive cultural, tourism, human capital, economic, educational and personality assets. The second stage would be the implementation of the strategy by appointed marketing communication professionals working closely with the commissioners of information and strategy; the local governments could also do a similar thing by appointing qualified supervising councillors to head the information and communication units of the local governments.
The respective state governors and local government chairmen having recognised the strategic importance of managing their brand assets could also set up small committees headed by marketing communication professionals, to coordinate their various place branding efforts. Appointing non-professionals to such positions purely on political grounds is actually counter –productive and could undermine their prospects of reaping the benefits of economic development which strategic place branding may attract.
Donald Duke, the saxophone playing governor of Cross River state provides a good model for other states and local governments in Nigeria to copy. He has consciously pursued a policy of shying away from controversy since he became the governor of the state. This has helped ensure that his reputation remains quite intact as he has not been named or mentioned in any media report, nor by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as one of the corrupt governors. This is quite encouraging as the same can not be said about his colleagues.
Governor Duke’s admirers cut across different age groups and gender, not only because of his boyish looks, social savvy and bespoke fashion sense but also because he is one of the few governors that have actually implemented programmes that have directly impacted on the lives of his people. He has gone a step further with his Tinapa project (Africa’s premier business resort); a project which when completed would put his state and Nigeria on the map of world tourism. The state government has also set up well-designed and maintained websites – www.tinapa.com and www.crossriverstate.com which serves as its windows to the world. The calabar and Cross River brands have steadily improved as strong Nigerian brands during Governor Duke’s stay at the government house.
Nigeria’s many states and local governments should indeed take advantage of emerging technologies such as the internet and incorporate them as governance tools, many do not yet have functioning websites, and for some that do, their sites lack the professional touch that would help enhance their overall brand image.
Another state which recently impressed is Kwara state. Kudos to the state governor, Bukola Saraki who has managed to attract sacked Zimbabwean farmers to the state, and have kept faith with them despite the criticisms his government received over the move. Some of the criticisms were rather unfair and seemed ill-informed as the potential economic benefits to the state and her citizens were obviously overlooked by the critics. The Kwara state government recently scored another PR coup which would help project the image of the state further; it successfully exploited the opportunity of the ThisDay music festival and invited the star attraction Jay-Z to Kwara state to commission some government projects. During his visit to the state, Jay-Z was honoured by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and also had a road named after him - Shawn "Jay - Z" Carter Road.
It is indeed a positive thing for the state to have Jay-Z dressed up in native aso oke attire riding the traditional horse during his turbanning ceremony.
Whether you are working at home or in the office, your desk is a major key to reducing stress and improving productivity. Make sure that it is not only a place you can function efficiently, but just as important, a place you like to be! A functional desk that is ugly can be as much of a deterrent to productivity as a beautiful desk that is not functional. I have spent nearly twenty years with people at their desks. One thing has become vehemently clear. Your desk can be your greatest enemy or your best friend. Take a good look at your desk. How does it make you feel? Are you comfortable there? Can you do what you need to do there easily? How does it look to other people? Does it reflect the message you want to give to the world about your work and your values? Analyze the kinds of activities you need or want to do at your desk. If you use a computer, an L-shape desk is usually the best option. Use the short end of the “L” for your computer, and the long end for desk accessories, your telephone, and spreading out papers while you are working.One of the major detractors to an effective and attractive desk are those pesky scraps of paper, which seem to proliferate in your absence – and sometimes in your presence! Post-it Software Notes solves that problem. You can jot down reminders, organize them in memo boards, and set and alarm to remind you of your intentions. You can even embed them in your documents. In my experience, an important component of any desk is space for files. I prefer two file drawers in my
The respective state governors and local government chairmen having recognised the strategic importance of managing their brand assets could also set up small committees headed by marketing communication professionals, to coordinate their various place branding efforts. Appointing non-professionals to such positions purely on political grounds is actually counter –productive and could undermine their prospects of reaping the benefits of economic development which strategic place branding may attract.
Donald Duke, the saxophone playing governor of Cross River state provides a good model for other states and local governments in Nigeria to copy. He has consciously pursued a policy of shying away from controversy since he became the governor of the state. This has helped ensure that his reputation remains quite intact as he has not been named or mentioned in any media report, nor by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as one of the corrupt governors. This is quite encouraging as the same can not be said about his colleagues.
Governor Duke’s admirers cut across different age groups and gender, not only because of his boyish looks, social savvy and bespoke fashion sense but also because he is one of the few governors that have actually implemented programmes that have directly impacted on the lives of his people. He has gone a step further with his Tinapa project (Africa’s premier business resort); a project which when completed would put his state and Nigeria on the map of world tourism. The state government has also set up well-designed and maintained websites – www.tinapa.com and www.crossriverstate.com which serves as its windows to the world. The calabar and Cross River brands have steadily improved as strong Nigerian brands during Governor Duke’s stay at the government house.
Nigeria’s many states and local governments should indeed take advantage of emerging technologies such as the internet and incorporate them as governance tools, many do not yet have functioning websites, and for some that do, their sites lack the professional touch that would help enhance their overall brand image.
Another state which recently impressed is Kwara state. Kudos to the state governor, Bukola Saraki who has managed to attract sacked Zimbabwean farmers to the state, and have kept faith with them despite the criticisms his government received over the move. Some of the criticisms were rather unfair and seemed ill-informed as the potential economic benefits to the state and her citizens were obviously overlooked by the critics. The Kwara state government recently scored another PR coup which would help project the image of the state further; it successfully exploited the opportunity of the ThisDay music festival and invited the star attraction Jay-Z to Kwara state to commission some government projects. During his visit to the state, Jay-Z was honoured by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and also had a road named after him - Shawn "Jay - Z" Carter Road.
It is indeed a positive thing for the state to have Jay-Z dressed up in native aso oke attire riding the traditional horse during his turbanning ceremony.
Materials created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, are known as leathers. An important clothing material, leather also has other uses. Leather together with wood formed the basis of much ancient technology. Leathers with the furs still attached are called furs.There are various forms of leather. Some of the form are Vegetable-tanned leather, Alum-tanned leather, Rawhide, Boiled leather, Chrome-tanned leather and Brain-tanned leather. Leathers are mainly of three types namely Full-Grain Leather, Corrected-Grain Leather, and Suede.Full-Grain Leathers are made from the finest raw material, are clean natural hides. The natural state allows strength, durability. The ability to breathe, and furnish with comfort are features of this form. The natural Full-Grain surface wears better. Furniture and foot wear, are made from Full Grain leather.Corrected-Grain Leathers are Corrected Leathers and are fuzzy on one side and smooth on the other. The hides made from inferior quality raw materials have an artificial grain applied. Suede Leathers are an interior split of the hide, fuzzy on both sides, and are less durable.Other uncommon leathers include Patent Leather, Shagreen and Buckskin. High gloss finish leathers are known as Patent Leathers. Modern patent leather usually has a plastic coating.The rough and grainy types of leathers are known as Shagreen and were formerly made from the back of a horse, or that of a wild ass. Skins of sharks and rays are now common in th
Governor Duke’s admirers cut across different age groups and gender, not only because of his boyish looks, social savvy and bespoke fashion sense but also because he is one of the few governors that have actually implemented programmes that have directly impacted on the lives of his people. He has gone a step further with his Tinapa project (Africa’s premier business resort); a project which when completed would put his state and Nigeria on the map of world tourism. The state government has also set up well-designed and maintained websites – www.tinapa.com and www.crossriverstate.com which serves as its windows to the world. The calabar and Cross River brands have steadily improved as strong Nigerian brands during Governor Duke’s stay at the government house.
Nigeria’s many states and local governments should indeed take advantage of emerging technologies such as the internet and incorporate them as governance tools, many do not yet have functioning websites, and for some that do, their sites lack the professional touch that would help enhance their overall brand image.
Another state which recently impressed is Kwara state. Kudos to the state governor, Bukola Saraki who has managed to attract sacked Zimbabwean farmers to the state, and have kept faith with them despite the criticisms his government received over the move. Some of the criticisms were rather unfair and seemed ill-informed as the potential economic benefits to the state and her citizens were obviously overlooked by the critics. The Kwara state government recently scored another PR coup which would help project the image of the state further; it successfully exploited the opportunity of the ThisDay music festival and invited the star attraction Jay-Z to Kwara state to commission some government projects. During his visit to the state, Jay-Z was honoured by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and also had a road named after him - Shawn "Jay - Z" Carter Road.
It is indeed a positive thing for the state to have Jay-Z dressed up in native aso oke attire riding the traditional horse during his turbanning ceremony.
Selecting furniture that is to be used in the office should be a task that requires caution and a lot of thinking. There are many factors to consider when choosing that chair for that impotant executive or that table for the conference room. Other factors to also consider is how much of the furniture to be selected would be able to withstand the rigorous demands of one’s particular job descriptions. Also, since most of one’s day is spent at work, it is important to ensure that these furniture are comfortable and ergonomic.The following are possible tips and advice to make sure that the office furniture you will choose is the perfect one for you and your work.Will you be using your desk a lot? And how?Usually, office desks or work stations are now used as personal computer or laptop holders. Make sure that the work table in your office has a special compartment for your work PC. There must be already existing holes found in or usually underneath the table where electric plugs and connections could just as easily be inserted in.The paper trailCorporate work produces a lot of junk, most of these usually are relevant junk. As much as possible, there must be a lot of room for such papers – both important and un-important, relevant and most urgent - on the surface of your work table. A cabinet that could be found overhead is an advisable thing to have. Those endless spreadsheets, thick books and folders upon folders of files could be placed in them.Is it an L? Or is i
Another state which recently impressed is Kwara state. Kudos to the state governor, Bukola Saraki who has managed to attract sacked Zimbabwean farmers to the state, and have kept faith with them despite the criticisms his government received over the move. Some of the criticisms were rather unfair and seemed ill-informed as the potential economic benefits to the state and her citizens were obviously overlooked by the critics. The Kwara state government recently scored another PR coup which would help project the image of the state further; it successfully exploited the opportunity of the ThisDay music festival and invited the star attraction Jay-Z to Kwara state to commission some government projects. During his visit to the state, Jay-Z was honoured by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and also had a road named after him - Shawn "Jay - Z" Carter Road.
It is indeed a positive thing for the state to have Jay-Z dressed up in native aso oke attire riding the traditional horse during his turbanning ceremony. Such images beamed across the world are actually priceless and could help to project the Kwara state brand further. However for this PR coup to actually impact on the economy of the state, the Kwara state government must also complement its efforts with good governance.
Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city has also done well in this regard and seems to be enjoying a new lease of life, conscious efforts by the federal capital territory (FCT) minister Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and his team to sanitise the city appears to be paying off, some of these efforts though have come at a heavy price such as homelessness for the residents of the houses demolished during the various rounds of demolition exercises in the city. Residents however appreciate the changing face of Abuja and the various recreation parks now available for their use. The FCT minister has embarked on policies to change the face of the city which sometimes appeared controversial. His ban on Okada (commercial motorcycles), importation of London cabs and vigorous pursuit and implementation of the Abuja master plan has led to the demolition of illegal structures in and around the city, and has in so doing reclaimed back lands which have now been transformed into parks for the enjoyment of city residents and visitors. Nigeria’s capital city has also consolidated efforts at re-branding its image through music, art, tourism and business. The annual Abuja carnival modelled after the Rio de Janerio carnival, Abuja Rocks @ 30 (an entertainment package to celebrate the city’s 30 years and strengthen the consciousness of unity in Nigeria) and the proposed Abuja tower are some of the efforts aimed at repositioning Abuja as a good destination, such efforts would also help to stretch the Abuja brand further.
States such as Anambra state have a lot to do to improve their brand image which has been negatively undermined by the activities of indigenous politicians such as Chris Ubah and Emeka Offor before him. The current governor Mr. Peter Obi with his private sector background and experience appears to be the right man for the job but his slow start has continued to attract the criticisms of Anambra state indigenes whose patience are now running out. With all the material and human resources that abound in the state, including the extra advantage of being the home state of some famous Nigerians such as Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chinua Achebe, Phillip Emeagwali, Arthur Ekwensi, Prof. Charles Soludo, Emeka Anyaoku, Prof. (Mrs) Oby Ezekwesili etc.
Anambra state should indeed be more than it is at the moment. Worryingly, the state government appears not to be quite in sync with current perceptions and concepts in place branding. The only reported effort at rebranding Anambra state was the changing of the state’s slogan from Anambra – Home for all to Anambra – Home for all good people. Surely the state can do better. Part of the problems with the Anambra brand is the general perception that its citizens are mainly interested in commercial pursuits as against intellectual engagements, the state also continues to suffer from the huge burden of the political class, most recently the state legislators have initiated the process of impeaching Mr. Peter Obi thus fuelling further instability, riots and demonstrations in the state. It’s about time that Anambra state, a potential economic and regional tiger wakes up and starts to harness her true potentials for the benefits of her indigenes. Historical sites such as the Ogbunike cave, Agulu lake, Igwe Osita Agwuna’s Obu Ofor Nri palace, Ochanja main market etc should be actively positioned as business and tourist attractions. Also with the rise in interest in Igbo culture and history, packaged and guided tours to the towns in Nri kingdom (the acclaimed cradle of Igbo civilisation and ancestral home of Ndigbo) could also help in extending the Anambra brand worldwide. The latter approach is favoured by Chikodi Anunobi, author of the book Nri Warriors of Peace. According to him ‘The story of Nri dynasty sums up the story of Ndigbo, and so anybody wishing to know more about Ndigbo and their history is better off visiting Nri towns’.
The Lagos, Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom state governments have repeatedly failed to capitalise on the rich natural resources abundant in their states, they have also not fully exploited the huge presence of foreign nationals in their states who are active in the oil and gas industry, these expatriates could easily serve as unofficial goodwill ambassadors of these states to their respective
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