Babatunde Fashola, former governor of Lagos and ex-minister of power, works, and housing, says newly appointed Nigerian ambassadors must possess deep knowledge of the country’s policies to effectively attract foreign investment.
Fashola spoke in Abuja on Tuesday while delivering the
keynote address at the Nigeria Reputation Summit 2026, organised by the Nigeria Reputation Management Group, an initiative of the Nigerian Institute of Public
Relations (NIPR).
The summit was themed ‘Better Nigeria, better reputation’.
Fashola recounted an official visit to an African country
during his time as a minister, where Nigeria’s ambassador lacked knowledge of
the country’s policy position in the sector under discussion.
“We have ambassadors, and I’m going to make my
recommendation based on my own experience; over dinner, preparatory to my
meeting, I shared the purpose of my visit, which was a ministry-related sector
issue, and ultimately, it turned out that the ambassador had no clue what
Nigeria’s position on those matters were,” he said.
The former minister said the recent appointment of
ambassadors provides an opportunity for structured and continuous engagement to
equip them with current information on Nigeria’s fiscal policies, tax laws,
investment incentives, oil and gas reforms, solid minerals, and the business
environment.
“Our ambassadors must have handy knowledge and information
to really represent us; how long does it take to register a business in
Nigeria? They must know that,” he said.
He described such capacity-building as urgent and ongoing,
urging the Minister of Information and National Orientation to work with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to commence coordinated briefings for Nigeria’s
diplomatic corps.
Fashola also criticised what he described as a misplaced
approach to economic diplomacy, where ambassadors invite Nigerian ministers to
visit their host countries rather than attract investors to Nigeria.
“Very often, I would get letters from ambassadors asking us
to come and visit the countries where they were posted, and unfortunately, most
of those letters ended up in my shredder; if there was a problem of development
at all, it was here, not there,” he said.
He said Nigeria’s ambassadors should focus on persuading
potential investors to visit the country and experience its market and
opportunities firsthand.
“Our ambassadors must invite people to come and visit
Nigeria, not the other way around,” he said.
Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national
orientation, called on Nigerians, professionals, institutions and the private
sector to take shared responsibility for building and protecting the country’s
reputation.
Idris described the unveiling of Nigeria’s first national
reputation perception index by the NIPR as an important step in understanding
how the country is perceived locally and internationally.
“The report is not a verdict on Nigeria; it is a mirror, and
as a responsible nation, we must have the courage to look into that mirror and
act,” he said.
He acknowledged that while the report placed Nigeria in a
low-trust category, progress had been recorded under President Bola Tinubu’s
administration.
“We are not where we used to be; while perception often lags
behind reality, real progress is being made, and it must be communicated
clearly, consistently and honestly,” the minister said.
Ike Neliaku, NIPR president, told journalists after the
event that reputation management is fundamental to national development.
“Reputation is so key, it’s so fundamental, it’s so
important that we must do everything to guide and guard the reputation of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
“When reputation first becomes your mantra, before you speak
or act, you weigh carefully whether it is adding to or taking from Nigeria’s
reputation bank.”
The summit brought together public relations professionals,
policymakers, and private sector leaders to discuss strategies for improving
Nigeria’s global standing through credible governance, strategic communication,
and effective diplomacy.
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