Citizen Diplomacy And Nigeria’s External Image Management, 2010-2015

Abstract

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Major Constraints for Regional Hegemony: Nigeria and South Africa in Perspective

“…Nigeria and South Africa boast sophisticated financial infrastructures like well-capitalised banks and emerging capital markets. Nigeria and South Africa’s telecommunication giants (MTN, Glo, among others) have made the telecommunication sector one of the most profitable sectors on the continent, with high mobile penetration growing at an increasing rate, with over 150 million phones, estimated, in use in both countries (Aleyomi 2017).…”

“…Given that Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa that has no reflection on its citizenry. The consensus on the poor management of resources influences the country’s immigration fantasy and brain drain, with the attendant ripples of criminal activities (like advance fee fraud, popularly known in local parlance as ‘419’, prostitution and drug trafficking) of some unpatriotic Nigerians in diaspora, which have also added to the country’s image crisis and reduced Nigeria’s regional and global influence (Aleyomi 2017). Despite many oil windfalls, the economic growth and diversification of the non-oil sector have been neither encouraged nor reduced poverty in Nigeria as a result of fraud; misuse of crude oil proceeds by the state and non-state authorities.…”

“…Corroborating the above, Tella (2019, 11) opined that the situation of racial discrimination has led to public outcry giving the fact that the foreign multinationals have exported racism to other countries like Tanzania, as is evident in their exclusive social clubs and colleges. Several countries in Africa are cynical about South Africa’s racial distinctiveness and security trust in the continent’s stability (Aleyomi 2017; Tella 2016). The continued xenophobic/‘Afro-phobic’ attacks on Africans are a manifested testament of insecurity.…”

“…Although, there are areas in which nations overtly and covertly compete in the application of power (Adebajo 2008; Aleyomi 2017; Burgess 2020; Heng 2010; Mazrui 2006; Ogunnubi and Isike 2015; Tella 2016). In this era of globalisation, every state or region tries to create positive perceptions and modulates its reputations in order to achieve loyalty at home and influence abroad.…”