In 2004, as a postgraduate student investigating the concept of nation branding, I asked a sample of Nigerians to share their thoughts on Nigerians and Nigeria. All the respondents revealed that the first thing that came to mind was negative. My research showed that the media and the many negative experiences Nigerians have endured at home and abroad had resulted in an emotional and mental detachment from their homeland. The 419Positive Project was devised in response to this.
419, pronounced four-one-nine, has become synonymous with Nigerians and Nigeria. Coined from section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code relating to fraud offences, 419 has been absorbed into the Nigerian vocabulary as a description for deceitful people or acts.
The 419Positive Project is an umbrella for a series of projects designed to challenge existing perceptions of Nigerians, and about Nigeria and to empower ordinary Nigerians to partake in telling the Nigerian story. The first in the series involves an ambitious road trip across Nigeria in search of four hundred and nineteen positive attributes of Nigerians and Nigeria. Our aim is to document the journey, the attributes and the rich diversity of the Nigerian people and landscape in words, pictures and sounds. This project is unique in that it encourages Nigerians and friends of Nigeria to help design the route for our road trip by submitting positive attributes here. The project will consist of a number of components including a video series, a book, a photo exhibition, educational resource and storytelling workshops.
There is no denying that Nigeria is facing many serious and urgent problems but it is equally important to point out that there is more to Nigeria than is visible on the surface. I hope that this project will contribute towards changing attitudes around issues of self-image, civic pride and national loyalty.
I invite you to join us on this journey.
Rosemary A. Ajayi
Project Director
