Marketing Communications expert and Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prima Garnet Africa, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, has advised the Federal Government to urgently reorganise the Ministry of Information to ensure maximum value and effective public information management.
 
Akinwunmi, who is also the author of the book, “SKIN for SKIN: The Prima Garnet Story”, said the nature and structure of the current Information Ministry is more of a colonial relic and therefore cannot cater to the robust, interactive communications needs of a developing country in the 21st century.
 
The fifth Chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), who had at one time headed the Federal Government’s rebranding project, ‘GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT NATION,’ said there was no good reason the Information Ministry would be different from the Ministry of Communications.

He insisted that the two should be merged into a single ministry to be known as Ministry of Public Communications.
 
Such an arrangement, he said, would enable a strategic approach to positively manage the perception of government and its leaders while at the same time ensuring a stronger engagement between the government and the people by exploring technology and all other interfaces needed to effectively communicate with the people and engage the international community.
 
Akinwunmi, who spoke in an interview, said:  “We do not need a Ministry of Information that is separate from the Ministry of Communications because the two are so intertwined; there is no need to separate them in this modern time.
 
“There is urgent need for the redesign and refocus of the Information Ministry to enable it properly serve as the communications engine of the country, instead of just being the mouthpiece of the Federal Government.”
 
He stressed the need for the new administration to cede the role of designing and shaping the Nigerian national image to marketing communications professionals, arguing that they have a better understanding of the science and art of image design and management that the country would require at any particular point in time.
 
“Marketing Communications helps shape a nation’s image and reputation in the global arena. By effectively branding and promoting her unique attributes, such as its cultural heritage, natural resources or technological advancements. Marketing communications can attract tourists, investors, and trading partners. Positive nation branding can lead to increased foreign direct investment, tourism revenue and international trade opportunities,” he noted.
 
He called for the integration of ethics into the country’s national life through intentional marketing practices, saying it would enable Nigeria to build trust among consumers, attract responsible businesses and create an environment conducive to sustainable development.