BY KALU AJAH

I wish Nigerians are able to open their eyes
and avail themselves with reality.

I once had to “manage” a group of Dutch
advisers who were to be with our firm for a
year.

In summary when one was leaving he told
me, ‘Kalu, Nigeria has an image problem. I
only came here because it was good for my
career. I was scared stiff.

However I love Nigeria, Lagos is safer than
Amsterdam. In Armstadam I cannot walk on
the street outside the ING office after 8 pm,
drug dealers will mug me” I don’t say this to
compare crime stats between Armstadam and
Lagos but to make the point that these are
perceptions driven by the news cycle.
CNN was here for about a month and ran wall
to wall coverage of # bring back our girls,
their team went by road to Chibok! So it’s
not suprising people perceive Nigeria as Boko
Haram, it’s a valid perception.

I was shocked to see Sudan on TV years ago
on Al jazera with green neighborhoods and
skyscrapers. All I saw on CNN and BBC about
Sudan was starving kids in Dafour.

I was shocked to also find out there was a
Jew in the Iran parliament and that Jews
have a community in Iran. All I knew about
the Iran were Mullahs, and “death to America
and Israel” News drives perception, and
perceptions stick. News is
just reported reality, it’s not the whole
reality. In effect what we have as news is an
editors perception of reality. Valid but i say
that to context things.

I recall a program that showed Americans
pictures of Detroit, some American argued it
was Lebanon or Sarajevo or some war
inflicted capital not some city in the US, but
some parts of Detriot look like Lebanon after
the civil war, we don’t know because it’s not
reported by the news.

There are more Kidnapping in Arizona than
the Niger Delta, more deaths by handguns
from gang warfare in Chicago than Borno.
Yes Borno (WEF says 5000 people have been
killed in Chicago since 2001 based on
Department of Defense and FBT data) again,
ask about Chicago and you may see
skyscrapers. Perceptions.

The distance from Abuja to Chibok is the
same from Abuja to Gassol LGA in Taraba
where an American is cultivating 30,000
hectares of rice, the largest in Africa
employing 5,000 direct and 15,000 indirect
workers. Did or has CNN, an American station
ever carried this story of an American in
Gassol?

Calaber is crime free. It’s perhaps Africa
biggest kept secret. Cheap, green and quiet,
has BBC ever reported the Calabar Carnival?
If it bleeds they say it leads, and Nigeria is
bleeding. Boko Haram are not really
interested in killings or bombing per say. If
they really wanted to kill people they would
simply poison the water supply in a large city.

They want the publicity, why? Perception.
Notice, we have bombs when ever we are
hosting an international event, President has
guests, President is travelling, or Nigeria
seems to be gathering positive momentum.

The folks controlling BH understand
perception and as long as they can replace
The World Economic Summit with kidnapped
girls, then Boko Haram is working.
I sometimes sit back and imagine the

investment that would have poured into
Nigeria if we didn’t have these senseless
violence and killings. The good thing is
perceptions can be changed via hard
work.

“Made in Taiwan” was once perceived as
inferior to “made in Great Britain”
Brazil was once a byword for corruption and a
destination for fugitives to run to
Folks we are in for a bumpy ride.
Nigerians have to work to change the
perception of Nigeria, it’s our problem and we
can fix it!
By Kalu Ajah.

I didn't write this extract. I culled it from here

www.newissuesmagazine.com/think-nigeria-failed-state-cos-cnn-told/

Am sharing it cos IMO it a nice one.

Kindly Share you opinions & Reactions, let's read & make Nigeria better for our children.

Cool points but it doesn't change the fact that alot of things are not working in Nigeria one of which includes the non-existent roads .......

I have issues with the way things are done in this country but I refuse to believe that we are the worst. There is no perfect country as long as it run by humans. As for Nigeria, while we work to change people's wrong perceptions about us, let us back it up with more positive accomplishments. It will greatly help the campaign..