The Federal Government of Nigeria on Tuesday criticized the recent travel advisory issued by the United States, which warned its citizens against traveling to Nigeria due to rising insecurity.
Nigeria described the advisory as “unjustified.”
Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, raised this concern during the annual retreat of the Nigeria Reputation Management Group, organized by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Abuja.
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The US advisory, published on the website of the US Mission in Nigeria, had cautioned its citizens against visiting Nigeria, citing “the prevalence of crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and inadequate healthcare services.”
The US advisory specifically listed “Do Not Travel to” Borno, Yobe, Kogi, and northern Adamawa states due to “terrorism and kidnapping,” and Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states due to “kidnapping.”
It also advised against traveling to Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers states (excluding Port Harcourt) due to “crime, kidnapping, and armed gangs,” noting that these groups “primarily target dual-national citizens visiting Nigeria and U.S. citizens perceived as wealthy. Kidnapping gangs have also stopped victims on interstate roads.”
In response, Minister Tuggar, represented by his Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy, Alkazeem Abdulkadir, described the advisory as “unfortunate.” He argued that no nation, including the United States, can claim to have “absolute security.”
Tuggar used a proverb to illustrate his point: “There is a saying that if the lion does not learn how to write stories, the game will always glorify the hunter.”
He then directly addressed US security challenges, stating, “I share this proverb with you because in 2024, about 47,000 people died from gun violence in America. Again, it is projected that in 2025, 45,000 people will die from gun violence in the same America.”
He added that Nigeria’s failure to effectively counter such narratives allows them to persist.
“A year ago, we wrote a travel advisory against Australia because they published one against us. We also wrote a travel advisory against the UK because they published one against us. In the ministry, we call this self-flagellation, where we, as Nigerians, are very prone to laugh at ourselves.”
The Minister stressed that Nigeria must become more proactive in controlling its narrative in an increasingly manipulated global information landscape.
He underscored the importance of public relations professionals in “managing reputation but in framing the national narrative with clarity, integrity, and patriotic purpose” as Nigeria repositions itself globally under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
“This is a time for media diplomacy to foster national unity, attract investment, strengthen bilateral relationships, and promote Nigeria as a capable voice in the global conversation,” he concluded.
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In his keynote presentation, Public Relations expert Modupe Adetokunbo lamented the rising negative perception of Nigeria, linking it to prevalent social and economic challenges.
He noted how the typical Nigerian’s response to “How are you doing?” has shifted from “we thank God” to “It is well,” reflecting deep-seated issues like “japa” (emigration), “pent-up anger, capital flight and begging.”
Adetokunbo highlighted that “Begging now has moved from the streets to homes and institutions. People are no longer ashamed of begging,” citing a viral video of foreigners giving money to Nigerian police as a reflection of broader societal problems.
Dr. Ike Neliaku, President and Chairman of Council, NIPR, also emphasized the necessity for Nigeria to “own and amplify its success stories” rather than allowing the international community to define its image.
Neliaku warned that “no organisation can best tell the story of the country except the Nigerian people.”
He lamented, “The challenge of reputation in Nigeria is not the absence of stories. We have great stories to tell… But the issue for me is that we undertell our own stories and sometimes overtell other people’s stories.”
He asserted, “The time has indeed come for us to tell our stories in our own way and drive the narratives instead of allowing outsiders to tell the stories of our country in their own way,” concluding that Nigeria “remains one of the greatest nations on earth, no matter the parameters deployed to check.”
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