Rebranding Nigeria: Role of the Media
A public speaker once said that when you have passion for an activity, it means you are ready to forgo basic needs like food or sleep. That means you are ready to skip meals to do that particular activity. Do you agree or disagree? Wait a moment! Let’s take a look at football and you […]
A public speaker once said that when you have passion for an activity, it means you are ready to forgo basic needs like food or sleep. That means you are ready to skip meals to do that particular activity. Do you agree or disagree? Wait a moment! Let’s take a look at football and you would be marvelled at the great deal of passion it can create compared to any other activity. We know that many people “divorce” their bed to watch matches at midnight. Even, I can still recollect in 2010 when I refused to eat because Nigeria lost to Argentina in South Africa World Cup. Though, I have stopped being a lover of football, a recent incident moved my spirit. I was in a bus going from Ilorin to Lagos.
We encountered some challenges in the motor park before the bus disembarked and this really diminishes our vigour for the journey. What doused the tension was this debate about football. From Messi vs Ronaldo to Mourinho vs Guardiola, the argument was unending. The discussion continued until we reached Lagos. It was those moments when hours seem like seconds. The length of time was not a big deal to me but the way they aptly identify the flaws of players, coaches and the teams at large. They did not only criticized but they also provided possible solutions .They praised , revered and compared past and present heroes of football . For God so good, they never attend any classes in sport. It was just passion made possible by vast media coverage. Later on, I began to ask myself some questions.
What if the argument of the best between Maradona and Messi transforms into discussions about past and present governments in Nigeria? Or the problems of our political class, the economy, identified and solutions provided? When will the young generation love this country and be part of the solution and not the problem? At what point would we “escape” from the ugly narratives we have found ourselves in? It is undisputable that the Mass Media have the answers to all this questions. Television and radio stations, Newspapers and internet are responsible for the massive energy (passion) that our youths devote to entertainment today. I belong to the school of thought that believes in the philosophy that when the people are informed about the benefits they can get from doing something they would go for it and vice versa. Let the media begin to portray the fascinating and incredible facts about Nigeria in a creative and innovative way and our story will not remain the same.
The role of the media as the voice of the voiceless, purveyor of information, the Fourth Estate of the Realm and the transmitter of social heritage need to be redefined in this country. Have the media used its agenda setting power to move Nigeria forward or backward? It’s high time the media gurus design messages that will change the people’s negative perspective about Nigeria to positive ones.
Abdulquadri Toyeeb, [email protected]