Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday blamed both local and international media for portraying Nigeria and the rest of Africa in a bad light.
”The world is being fed with images of Nigeria and indeed Africa as a bedrock of war, famine, disease, corruption, illiteracy and underdevelopment,” the president said at a ceremony marking the start of international transmission of the country’s national television station NTA.
”Unfortunately, Nigerians and Nigerian media are contributors to this uncharitable, unpatriotic and unwholesome image,” Obasanjo said, before also slamming ”major international networks” for broadcasting ”unwholesome news” about Nigeria.
Obasanjo said a major news organisation such as NTA with unequalled reach across the nation has an obligation to project Nigeria, the world’s most populous nation, in a positive light.
Obasanjo said the NTA had started transmission on Wednesday in Washington and will soon be received in every home in North America by direct-to-home satellite.
He said the transmission would then be extended to Europe.
”This landmark event is bound to directly impact on Nigeria’s image worldwide and on the process of our nation’s repositioning for the challenges of the emerging global divisions of power, labour and opportunity,” the president said.
Nigeria’s Information ministry is currently involved in the ”Heart of Africa Image Project”, designed to inspire confidence, positive consciousness and national pride in Nigerians. – Sapa-AFP