APRA initiates ‘Campaign Africa’ to re-launch continent
African Public Relations Association (APRA) has taken up the mantle to lead in the correction of African negative image. To this end, the association formed 40 years ago, has conceived a multidimensional initiative tagged “Campaign Africa” to drive home the African narrative; a narrative of hope, renewal and of endless possibilities.
The association 2015 conference in Younde, Cameroon next week on ‘Africa Trending: Contemporary Challenges, Opportunities in Reputation and Crisis Management’ is also part of the initiative put together to draw stakeholders from around the continent and beyond in order to facilitate the journey towards a more positively perceived and prosperous Africa.
To further drive this narrative and frame the vision and reputation of the continent for generations yet unborn, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, secretary general of APRA, says in Lagos while unveiling the activities for the conference that the duty has fallen on APRA as reputation and image builders, to steer this ship; to gather under one umbrella, the crop of thriving African corporations and individuals who represent what Africa stands for and the possibilities that abound on the continent and preach the gospel of a positive Africa from as many platforms as possible.
“Campaign Africa is poised to re-introduce Africa as the next frontier for opportunities to investors and business prospects with the aim of showing them what they are likely to enjoy – for a lifetime, as benefits of our re-emerging continent,” he says.
The conference theme is apt, considering the image crisis plaguing the continent from time to time, he says, saying “a good example is the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus disease and the recent Xenophobic attack on foreigners of African descent in South Africa. We believe that the African continent stands on the brink of a rise, but has been plagued with several challenges, including lack of development at all levels, even as the continent gains ground demographically as the second most populous continent and economically as the next global frontier.”
Yomi, who is also the CEO of CMC Connect, a top PR agency in Nigeria, says Africa is a bright continent with adequate human and material resources, but “however, after decades of independence, Africa remains the least developed continent in the world. It is often discussed with emphasis on the narrative of the continent as one of war, poverty and disease; It is even referred to as the Dark Continent and African people, no matter their standard of education and achievements, are looked down upon and ridiculed everywhere.
‘’Africa needs a voice of her own to overcome the negative voices that have overshadowed her own for decades. Africa’s failure to have a voice of her own, tell her own story, sing her song, paint her own images, gives the rest of the world and even Africans a distorted view of the African continent. This has impacted negatively on the socio-economic growth and eventual development of the continent.”
The conference parades an array of renowned speakers, including Erastus Mwencha, the deputy chairperson, African Union Commission; Folake Ani-Mumuney, a seasoned marketer and communicator, who heads the marketing and corporate communications function globally for FBN Holdings plc; Lampe Omoyele, managing director, West Africa, The Nielsen Company; Jeremy Galbraith, who, in 2014, was named by The Sunday Times and Debrett’s as one of the UK’s 500 most influential people; Robyn de Villiers, chairman/CEO of Burson-Marsteller, and Nkechi Ali-Balogun, a multi-talented industry expert with over 20 years of professional experience in the client and services aspect of Public Relations and Training consultancy.
Daniel Obi