Veteran actor and filmmaker Richard Mofe-Damijo has told Nigerians to stop tearing the country down in public and start putting work behind their complaints. Speaking on Tuesday at the maiden Pivot Nigeria conference in Lagos, the Nollywood star said every citizen eventually pays for how the world sees Nigeria.
The gathering at the MUSON Centre carried a sharp theme:
“The Reputation Dividend: Who Pays for Nigeria’s Perception?”
RMD did not pretend the country is fine. He said the problems are real. What he would not accept is a national habit of pointing fingers and walking away.
“We are too quick to condemn us. There are problems but we need to fix them. Don’t stand and just criticise and then proffer no solution,” he said.
He was not asking citizens to keep quiet about bad leadership. He wanted the opposite.
“While we the citizens must demand better governance, we must also recognise how our own conduct shapes Nigeria’s image internationally.”
Then he went further.
“We don’t hold leadership accountable enough. If we do, then when they come in there, they know that they are responsible for the people that they represent.”
The actor framed reputation as something Nigerians carry on their bodies, not something a ministry can manufacture.
“Just remember who you are. You are an ambassador, not just for yourself, your parents or your school, but ultimately for your country.”
At another point he said he used to treat that duty like a burden.
“But if you carry it as a responsibility, as an ambassador for your country, then it becomes a thing that you do with pride.”
He pointed to Nollywood, Afrobeats and entrepreneurs such as Aliko Dangote as proof that Nigerians are already building reputation from inside the country. The work, he said, is unfinished.
“It does not excuse our shortcomings, but it speaks to the fact that we should be patient. We are a country in progress. We are a work in progress, and we must continue doing the work.”
Conference convener Victoria Uwadoka, Lead Consultant at HighStakes PR Professionals, argued that reputation should be treated as a national asset, not a public relations slogan.
“Tell the truth about where we are. Be balanced. There’s not only bad about us, but there’s also good as well.”
She added that government still has to create the conditions that make that story believable through policy, infrastructure and strong institutions.