Former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States and National President of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria, Ambassador Joe Keshi, has warned that Nigeria’s international standing has become increasingly fragile and cannot be left to chance.

He gave the warning yesterday at the official presentation of the Maiden Nigeria Reputation Perception Index Report 2025 by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Abuja.

He described national reputation as one of the country’s most critical, yet neglected assets, with direct implications for diplomacy, investment, security cooperation and the treatment of Nigerians abroad.

Drawing parallels between personal and national reputation, the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said nations, like individuals, must consciously protect their names or risk long-term damage.

He noted that Nigeria’s declining image had weakened its diplomatic influence, even when its positions were well-intentioned, stressing that reputation functions as a critical element of soft power—the ability to influence through attraction rather than coercion.

According to him, Nigeria once enjoyed strong reputational capital based on its leadership role in Africa, contributions to decolonisation, peacekeeping missions and regional stability, but negative perceptions linked to corruption, insecurity and governance inconsistencies had steadily eroded that goodwill.

He cited recent global narratives around Nigeria, including security concerns, visa restrictions and international criticism, as evidence that the country was increasingly unable to effectively push back against unfavourable actions or stereotypes.

Using sports as an illustration, the former envoy lamented that Nigeria’s inability to maintain world-class infrastructure, including FIFA-approved stadiums, had become fodder for ridicule and reinforced perceptions of dysfunction, even when the nation’s footballers performed admirably.

Speaking earlier, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Ike Neliaku, said the report represented Nigeria’s first evidence-based, measurable national reputation baseline, developed after seven years of research and global benchmarking.

Neliaku said the project, conceived in 2019, involved engagements with global reputation frameworks to ensure methodological rigour.

In his keynote address, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, said the unveiling of the index is a historic step toward evidence-based governance, institutional accountability and strategic national branding.