ABUJA: The Federal Government has said Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem is attracting growing global attention and enhancing the country’s international reputation.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, stated this on Tuesday at the Nigeria Reputation Summit 2026 in Abuja.
The summit, themed “Better Nigeria, Better Reputation,” was organised by the Nigerian Reputation Management Group (NRMG), an initiative of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
Idris said the theme aligned with the findings of the Reputation Perception Index report, which placed Nigeria’s reputation score at 35.2 percent.
Describing the figure as sobering, he said it provided a useful mirror for national self-assessment.
“A reputation score of 35.2 percent places Nigeria in a low-trust band and highlights the gap between our potential and global perception. This is not a verdict; it is a mirror,” the minister said.
He noted that the data used for the report was gathered about seven years ago and did not fully reflect recent developments, particularly reforms initiated under President Bola Tinubu over the last two years.
“We are not where we used to be. While perception often lags behind reality, progress is being made, and it must be communicated clearly, consistently and honestly,” Idris said.
He pointed to Nigeria’s growing fintech sector and rising confidence in the digital economy as evidence that the country’s innovation ecosystem was boosting its global standing.
According to him, reputation is built when policy aligns with purpose and communication reflects truth, adding that government alone could not shoulder the responsibility of rebuilding Nigeria’s image.
Idris said the country had faced unfair scrutiny, including misleading reports portraying Nigeria as intolerant of religious freedom, but noted that the government was addressing such narratives through diplomacy, improved security cooperation and internal reforms.
“Redeeming Nigeria’s image is a national call to duty. It requires collective effort, honest self-appraisal and confidence in projecting our progress,” he said.
The minister commended the NRMG and the NIPR leadership, led by its President, Dr Ike Neliaku, for their consistency and vision, noting that the group had delivered Nigeria’s first comprehensive Reputation Perception Index within one year of its inauguration.
He also highlighted reforms in areas such as fuel subsidy removal, education, democracy, press freedom and local government autonomy, saying they had repositioned Nigeria for growth and improved global perception.
