The Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, on Thursday called on filmmakers and media practitioners to use their contents to rebrand Nigeria.
Ali made the call in an interview with NAN on the sidelines of the ongoing Nigeria Institute of Public Relations Week.
Ali, who is also a member of NIPR, on Thursday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, described movies and news items as export commodities that could be used to mirror Nigeria to the outside world.
According to him, with the quantum of films produced by the film industry and the ever-increasing distribution and consumption profile of its content, Nollywood represents a significant national export for Nigeria.
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He, therefore, called for partnership involving the government, organised private sector and Nollywood to engage in deliberate deployment of movies to project the country’s positive image.
Ali, who cited India as an example, explained that the Bollywood industry had continued to transform the country.
He said: “Bollywood movies have played significant roles in rebranding India through positive and culturally-grounded contents.”
He called for a departure from movies portraying magic, witchcraft and other fetish contents, saying: “Nigerians have moved away to more positive enterprises.”
According to the public relations expert, the President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s efforts at revitalising Nigeria’s monetary policy through the implementation of effective policies by the Central Bank of Nigeria are beginning to yield results.
He said: “The naira is stabilising and our economic rating is posting a positive outlook.
“Rather than always being quick to celebrate things that are inimical to the nation’s growth, the media should celebrate the gains that the naira has made recently and other positive changes by the government.
“This will represent a proactive step which is crucial for building confidence among foreign investors and the citizens.”
Ali also stated that NAN had continued to be at the forefront of projecting the good image of the country, while still serving as the watchdog of the society.
“What we do in NAN, as the biggest news content provider in Africa, is to export Nigeria to Africa, and then Africa to the rest of the world without prejudice or malice,” he said.
The Managing Director urged the public and private sectors, civil society organisations, media outlets and academic institutions to work hand-in-hand to harness the full potential of public relations as a force for positive change.
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