The Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria has released a statement concerning Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun’s reported hiring of a foreign Public Relations agency. Read:

Our attention has been drawn to news reports making the rounds that Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, recently retained the services of a United- Kingdom-based Public Relations firm to manage the campaign around Nigeria’s participation at the just concluded World Bank Spring Meeting in Washington DC, United States. The deal is alleged to come with an outrageous $2million (about N800m) monthly retainer fee.

If indeed true, PRCAN views the action of the Minister as unpatriotic and contrary to the much-touted “Buy Nigeria, Save the Naira” policy of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Mrs. Adeosun would very well have some explaining to do to the Nigerian people on whether she complied with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act in hiring the services of the said foreign consultant, without any competitive bid from any other equally qualified Public Relations consulting firms, as provided for in the Act. It will also be of interest to the Nigerian people to know if the Efficiency Unit of the Federal Ministry of Finance signed off on the payment of the alleged huge retainer fee to the PR firm in question.  

If indeed Minister Adeosun walked this path that betrays an insatiable appetite and penchant of many Nigerian political office holders for a policy of “foreign is better”, she may indeed be giving credence to the feeling generally held in the Nigeria’s professional circles  that our leaders have no regard for Nigerian professionals.

Mrs. Adeosun’s action is coming at a time when competent Nigerian PR firms who understand the Nigerian narratives and our issues could have done the job a lot better and certainly at a much lower fee, especially as the country’s economy is struggling to get out of a crippling recession.

PRCAN calls on President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to rein in their Ministers in their taste for “all things foreign” by admonishing them to look inwards, as no foreigner can understand or tell the Nigerian story better than Nigerians themselves. There are eminently qualified Public Relations firms in Nigeria which can frame our narratives for the world to understand and  appreciate .

For the avoidance of doubt, PRCAN wishes to assure President Buhari and his team that it has within its fold member-agencies who can competently  develop and execute strategic communication programmes to support Nigerian’s investment marketing strategy, foreign debt issue management, destination marketing strategy and country reputation management, among other issues.

John E. Ehiguese

President

Editor