Gilbert Ekugbe
Stakeholders in the public relations and media have charged Africans to change the negative perception of Africa to avoid western world stereotypes.
This was the crux at the recently held 22nd NECCI PR Roundtable themed: “Danger of a single story: Communication and reputational crisis in Africa” held in Lagos.
In her keynote speech, the Chairman of Access Bank Plc, Dr. Ajoritsedere Awosika, stated that Africans must rise up to the occasion and disown every stereotyping messaging from the west and begin to create messages of prosperity, invention and development for the continent.
“There are a lot of positive developments in Africa. We must not allow other continents to take ownership of our story. Africa is a continent of prosperity, invention, innovation and development. Therefore, allowing others to paint us as a continent of hunger, disease, corruption and referring to us as a developing continent must not be allowed to fester,” Awosika stated.
According to her: “I am not a communication expert but those in the business of communication and messaging must begin to create and generate positive messaging that truly reflects who we are as people because the continent is blessed and endeavored with some of the best natural resources you can find anywhere in the world. We are ambassadors of our culture. The ecosystem of Africa is created for a purpose.”
In his paper titled “Danger of a single story: Consequences of Labels and stereotyping. South Africa as a case study”, Mpumelelo Ndumiso Zondi, Head of Brand & Global Client Lead, Edelman, South Africa, said that it looks like we all have an idea of what the African problem is, but the solutions seem to be the challenge.
