PR TIMES AFRICA PRTimesAfrica (March 2016)

lead to mutual suspicion. PRT: Has Africa made any progress compared to the last century? AI: The progress in Africa, if any, has been very minimal in inconsequential areas of life. No inventions from Africa. Our best brains have continued to drain into other continents. Wars and conflicts are on the increase. Insurgency with the inherent problem of internally displaced people has become a huge burden on national econom- ics. One area though that the continent seems to have made some progress is in the entertainment industry. For example, Nigeria music now has its own character and genre. Imitations no longer sell. Good dance steps unmistakably African have also evolved. Musicians in the continent are now collaborating more. The same goes for the film in- dustry. Africa has come of age. We’re also seeing more fruitful collaborations in the industry. May be, the larger cooperation Africa is looking for will come through the instrumentality of the entertain- ment industry. Who knows? PRT: What are some Road – blocks to greater intra-African trade? AI: 1. Poverty 2. Insecurity 3. Leadership deficit 4. Lack of economic independence 5. Corruption 6. Weak industrial foundation 7. Conspiracy of the mulli-national corpo- rations. PRT: How can these Road-Blocks be eased through effective PR? PRT: What are some PR career opportunities for beginners? AI: The prospects seem bright for the young ones. A lot of the old practitioners learnt on the job without requisite educational background. The younger ones now are getting better training. With the rising consciousness of PR in government and industry in view of demographic dynamics in Nigeria and the world over, PR is gaining more recognition. Ignoring it has such consequenc- es as militancy, insurgency, industrial lockouts, demonstrations, crises, etc. I think the prospects are bright for those who are creative, intellectual, hardworking and exposed through training, travels and mentoring. PR consultancy also seems at- tractive because of the emerging sophistication of the stakeholders. PRT: How can we promote tourism as a foreign exchange earner? AI: Thriving tourism is anchored on good PR. For African countries to enhance their tourism potential, the following are necessary: i. The security challenges in the continent must be addressed. No sensible person wants to relax in the midst of wars, insurgency, kidnapping, labour unrest, etc. ii. Re-orientation of the entire citizenry to accom- modate and be courteous to strangers. This will involve taxi drivers, market women, opera- tives in the hospitality industry, uniformed men and women at Nigeria’s entry points and those at check – points, etc. These Nigerians who interface with the public must buy into the hospitality philosophy which under- lines the tourism industry to make it work well. AI: We can achieve intra-Africa trade through: 1. Using PR strategies to forge and maintain un derstanding among nations of Africa. 2. Deploying strategic communication to change how Africa is perceived by Africans and the entire world. 3. Leveraging the African Union to do more ad- vocacy for peace rather than waiting to do peace keeping after wars. 4. Exposing African politicians to information on the need for African cooperation. A common institute should be established by the AU through which every aspiring politician in Africa must pass to qualify for any elective position in their various countries. 45 | PRTIMES AFRICA MARCH 2016

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