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Former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Dr Danladi Bako, has called for a collective effort to restore Nigeria’s good image.

Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja at a reputation roundtable organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, FCT chapter, Bako emphasised the need for proactive measures to address the country’s reputation challenges.

The event, themed “Navigating Reputation Challenges in the Digital Era,” brought together professionals to discuss safeguarding reputations in an age of instant information and digital disruption.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Bako lamented how the actions of a small number of Nigerians abroad had negatively affected the country’s image.

According to him: “We as Nigerians have been labelled fraudsters, crooks, and drug dealers.

“Encounters with Nigerians involved in crimes abroad may not exceed 200,000, yet the reputations of 200 million people are unfairly stereotyped based on the actions of a few.”

Despite this, Bako expressed optimism that Nigeria’s reputation could still be redeemed, citing India’s transformation as an example.

“As a young man, our first impression of India came from their films, which predominantly depicted love, romance, and heartbreak. That was the image they projected to the world, while in reality, they were developing nuclear energy, something we were unaware of.

“At the time, their reputation was misrepresented. Today, however, people travel to India for medical treatment, and their global image has improved significantly.

“Reputation and perception can be changed through strategic behaviour and institutional reforms. The Taiwanese achieved this, and today their products are recognised worldwide for quality,” he said.

Bako urged the entertainment industry, particularly Nollywood, to reconsider the themes it portrays, advising against films that glorify witchcraft, supernatural disappearances, and other fetish imagery.