Polishing the Mirror Abroad While It Cracks at Home

Nigeria recently paid a foreign company 9 million dollars to help improve her image abroad. This decision has raised many questions, especially for those of us who work in public relations.

Simply put, image is how people see you. For a country, image comes from how its people live, talk, work, and are treated. It is not something you can just buy like a new dress. It must be earned.

The first problem with this decision is trust. When a government tries to fix its image outside the country while many citizens are unhappy at home, people may feel ignored. They may think the government cares more about what foreigners say than what Nigerians feel. This can make people lose confidence in leadership.

Another issue is understanding how reputation works. A country’s image starts from inside, not outside. When citizens share their daily experiences on social media, the world is watching. If life at home is hard, no foreign company can hide that truth for long. The world listens to real stories more than paid speeches.

This move also affects Nigerian professionals. Nigeria has many talented people in public relations, media, and international relations. These are people who understand our culture, our struggles, and our strengths. Choosing a foreign firm instead of local experts sends a sad message. It can look like we do not trust our own people to tell our own story.

For public relations practitioners in Nigeria, this can be discouraging. It makes their work seem less important, even though they have the skills to help shape the nation’s image in a truthful and strong way.

Good image building should start at home. It means listening to citizens, fixing problems, and sharing real success stories. When people at home believe in their country, the world will notice.

In the end, Nigeria’s story is best told by Nigerians. We live it every day. Before trying to impress the world, we must first fix the mirror at home.