Politics

FG replies US, says insecurity in your country is even worse

Published

8 years ago

August 12, 2016

Lagos secures right to host AFRIMA for the next 3-yrs

Nigerian Government on Thursday replied the United States (US) that its security challenges is worse than that of Nigeria.

US government had recently claimed that at least 20 states in Nigeria were not safe for its citizens, considering security issues in such states as armed robbery, kidnapping and terrorism, among others.

But Lai Mohammed, the Minister for Information and Culture, dismissing that claim when he received a delegation from the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria in Abuja, said every state in the country is safe.

He accused the U.S. Embassy of publishing an incorrect image of Nigeria, urging Nigeria media to desist from helping them in projecting misinformation about the country.

According to Mohammed, untrue negative reports about Nigeria, especially by local media would only end up discouraging investors and is counter-productive to the country’s tourism growth.

“We are in Nigeria. How can we believe the claim that 20 states in Nigeria are not safe? That is not correct. There is no state in Nigeria that is not safe today.

“Is there any week they are not killing people in the US, by either shooting in schools or driveways or people committing suicide or mass bombing? How many of these stories do their media celebrate?

‘’If they want to tell their people not to come to Nigeria, it is not for us to help them propagate it,” Mohammed reasoned.

He enjoined members of the association to complement the efforts of the government in promoting the good image of the country, saying perception management and aggressive marketing are key to the promotion of tourism in Nigeria.

“I will mention an area which is dire to tourism and development. That is the area of marketing tourism. We do not market tourism enough in this country. Tourism is driven by perception more than by reality. What do I mean?

“Today, countries that are less endowed and peaceful than Nigeria…go on CNN and Aljazeera to advertise their countries as the countries of peace and stability. We must change the perception and invest in perception management,” he said.

Mohammed urged leaders in the public and private sectors to help promote local tourism by spending their vacations and holidays at tourist sites within the country.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

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