Stakeholders at the second edition of the Pivot Nigeria Conference have called for stronger collective action by citizens, government, businesses, institutions and the media to improve Nigeria’s reputation and strengthen the country’s global image.
The conference, held on Tuesday at La Scala, MUSON Centre, Lagos, focused on the theme, “The Reputation Dividend: Who Pays for Nigeria’s Perception?”
The event brought together professionals from the creative industry, media, communications and corporate sectors to examine the relationship between Nigeria’s reputation, public trust, economic opportunities and national development.
Victoria Uwadoka, Convener of Pivot Nigeria and Lead Consultant at HighStakes PR Professionals, said reputation should be treated as a strategic national asset rather than a superficial concept.
According to her, reputation is closely connected to trust, credibility and the ability of individuals, organisations and countries to build relationships, attract opportunities and sustain confidence.
Uwadoka said the conversation was particularly relevant as Nigeria prepares to mark its 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1, noting that the country gained independence from Britain on October 1, 1960.
She argued that responsibility for Nigeria’s reputation should not rest entirely with government, stressing that citizens, businesses, institutions and the media all contribute to how the country is perceived.
“There is a lot about us that is great. We have made progress in so many ways,” she said, urging Nigerians to recognise their individual and collective roles in shaping the country’s future.
Uwadoka said Nigeria’s 66 years of independence should also be viewed against the progress the country has made, the lessons it has learnt and the institutions it has built.
While acknowledging the development of policies and institutional frameworks across different sectors, she stressed the importance of sustained implementation to translate such initiatives into tangible benefits for citizens.
The Pivot Nigeria convener also called for greater confidence in Nigerian talent and enterprise, urging citizens to develop products, services and solutions capable of competing in international markets.
According to her, Pivot Nigeria was created to examine how Nigerians perceive themselves and how those perceptions influence the way the country is experienced and perceived by others.
“If you say you’re a lion, behave like a lion,” she said, urging Nigerians to demonstrate through their conduct the values associated with Nigeria’s description as the “Giant of Africa.”
Uwadoka said everyday actions such as professionalism, punctuality, discipline, ethics and respect also shape Nigeria’s reputation, noting that individuals represent the country in their interactions with others.
In a numbers-led presentation titled “The Reputation Dividend,” Elvis Eromosele, Managing Editor of TheNumbersNG.com, framed reputation as hard development infrastructure rather than soft branding. He argued that Nigeria and Nigerians quietly pay a multi-million-dollar annual tax for the way the world perceives the country, money that could otherwise fund primary healthcare, education or power infrastructure.
Citing data on Africa’s $75 billion annual “prejudice premium,” more than $30 billion in potential FDI lost during the FATF grey-list period, an estimated $2.1 billion yearly economic loss from stereotype bias, and a 2–3 percentage-point extra yield on Nigerian Eurobonds beyond fundamentals, Eromosele showed how perception is priced into every bond, visa, partnership and investment decision.
He also highlighted the “mobility tax” borne by citizens, including Nigeria’s 90th ranking on the Henley Passport Index, a 45.9 per cent Schengen visa rejection rate and elevated UK refusal rates, alongside corporate risk premiums that raise the cost of capital and reduce startup fundraising relative to peers in Ghana and Kenya.
Veteran actor and filmmaker Richard Mofe-Damijo, popularly known as RMD, said Nigerians should distinguish between honestly acknowledging the country’s challenges and condemning the country without contributing to solutions.
Mofe-Damijo said efforts to improve Nigeria’s image should not involve ignoring its problems but should encourage citizens to confront those problems and work towards practical solutions.
He urged Nigerians to see themselves as ambassadors of the country, stressing that nation-building requires citizens to take responsibility for the kind of society they want to create.
The actor pointed to the international growth of Afrobeats and the achievements of Nigerian entrepreneurs as examples of how local talent, enterprise and persistence can influence perceptions of Nigeria globally.
He also called for greater accountability in public leadership, saying citizens have a responsibility to demand accountability from those entrusted with public office.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 66 years of independence, Mofe-Damijo described the country as a work in progress and stressed the importance of patience, consistency and deliberate nation-building.
Also speaking at the conference, Ekuma Eze, Head, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Rite Foods Limited, said changing Nigeria’s narrative would require a shift in mindset beginning from the family and extending to institutions and wider society.
Eze urged Nigerian companies to build to international standards rather than allow perceptions about locally made products to limit their ambitions.
He said globally competitive Nigerian businesses could attract investment, create employment and contribute to economic growth.
Eze also encouraged citizens to identify areas where they could make meaningful contributions to national development, stressing that sustainable progress could not depend entirely on solutions coming from outside the country.
The discussions at Pivot Nigeria 2026 consequently linked Nigeria’s reputation to citizenship, leadership, business, media, culture and economic development.
Speakers and participants emphasised that improving the country’s image requires more than positive storytelling, with credibility ultimately dependent on the actions, standards and outcomes that accompany the narrative.
