• Fashola underscores national pride, reciprocity
Federal Government has called for collective action by Nigerians, professionals, institutions and the private sector to strengthen and protect the country’s global reputation through honest communication and demonstrable progress.

The call was made yesterday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, at the Nigeria Reputation Summit 2026 held in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, Idris described the unveiling of Nigeria’s first National Reputation Perception Index by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) as a landmark initiative that provides insight into how the country is perceived at home and abroad.

“The report is not a verdict on Nigeria. It is a mirror. And as a responsible nation, we must have the courage to look into that mirror and act,” the Minister said.

He commended the NIPR, the Nigerian Reputation Management Group and their leadership for producing the index after several years of research, noting that building national reputation is a long-term process that demands
discipline, consistency and shared responsibility.

In his remarks, a former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), urged the Federal Government to adopt a firm stance on international visa restrictions, noting that the country should not resort to pleading with other nations for access.

According to him, how Nigeria reacts to travel bans and visa denials has reputational consequences beyond diplomacy.

His remarks came against the backdrop of fresh travel restrictions announced by the United States, which took effect from January 1, 2026, following Presidential Proclamation 10998 aimed at tightening border and national security controls.

The restriction also follows the suspension of immigrant visa processing for Nigerians and other countries, including Russia, Somalia, Brazil and Afghanistan.

Speaking at the summit, Fashola cautioned Nigeria against adopting a pleading posture in the face of such decisions, stressing that the country still holds economic leverage through the spending power of its citizens.

The former minister stressed that reclaiming national pride did not mean condoning bad behaviour by Nigerians abroad, but rather rethinking how Nigeria protects its dignity while addressing reputational challenges.

He said: “We are at the point where some countries have the audacity to tell us, ‘don’t come to our country. The question is: are we submissive and surrendering and apologetic, or are we really the giants that we are?”

“One of the things I learned very early in life is the power of the customer who is spending money. In all of those places where they are harassing us today, we go there and spend real money.”

“And so, from a place of national pride, not a place of support for bad behaviour, let us rethink how we re-approach these things. Just imagine if your neighbour said, don’t come to my house again, I don’t want to see your children here. So, what would you really be doing? Pleading with your neighbour? That’s not how I was raised. So, let’s just think about it from that perspective.”

Addressing the recent appointment of ambassadors by President Bola Tinubu, the former minister said diplomatic postings must go beyond protocol and social engagement to include deep knowledge of Nigeria’s policy positions and economic realities.

He argued that ambassadors should play a central role in attracting people and investments to Nigeria, rather than encouraging Nigerian officials to travel abroad unnecessarily.