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Destination Branding: Akwa Ibom Unveils Dakkada Campaign

By Gilbert Alasa
10 October 2015   |   12:59 am
FOR obvious reasons, the economic fortunes of many Nigerian states have plummeted in recent times. Those who are smart enough have since gone ahead to explore alternative sources to drive revenue generation.

dakkada-(11)FOR obvious reasons, the economic fortunes of many Nigerian states have plummeted in recent times. Those who are smart enough have since gone ahead to explore alternative sources to drive revenue generation. Recently, a number of states in Nigeria swooped on destination branding to rake in all the goodies it presents.

The Mimiko-led administration in Ondo State championed the catchy “Ise takun takun” campaign to reignite the culture of hard work as antidote to success. In 2014, Kwara State followed suit with its rebranding initiative aimed at making the state an investment hub for growth. The likes of Kebbi and Ekiti states have also gone ahead to make bold statement and reposition their states. Same with the government of the State of Osun, which pushed the “Ipinle Omoluabi” campaign to promote virtues. Such efforts, it is believed, has propelled the state to occupy second position in human development ranking, according to Oxford Poverty Human Development Index.

Twenty-eight years after its formation, Akwa Ibom has joined other Nigerian states to set an agenda for its own rebranding and development. It is a narrative that unveils the roadmap of how the state can metamorphose into a community of people ready to take charge of their destinies.

One way the state has sought to achieve this is a rebranding campaign tagged “dakkadaism” – a project which seeks to first awaken the spirit of its indigenes to the possibilities and miracles that abound in the sky for those who chose to “rise” with the vision. Dakkada is a mass movement that seeks to purge the mind of its penchant for excesses and empower citizens to become what they truly should be.

The State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, succinctly captured this recently while speaking at a rally at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium to mark the 28th anniversary of the state’s creation. “For too long, our core value of honesty and integrity became our undoing. Nigerians could only trust Akwa Ibom people with their homes and kitchens; children and jewellery. So we served the rich and the powerful and took care of their culinary needs,” he said.

The governor’s declaration is a reminder of the fast eroding “servant” status earned by most citizens of Akwa Ibom extraction in social discourse. Udom added: “Servitude became a badge pinned on us by the nation.

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