The minister also urged them to be good ambassadors of the nation by striving at times to project a positive image for the country. “As good Ambassadors you must shun all form of crime activities that will put the nation in bad light.” The task of defending Nigeria lies with all of us as a collective responsibility because government alone cannot carry out these enormous responsibilities.

The goal of the author of Citizen Ambassadors of Nigeria is to bring to the forefront a theory called track two diplomacy by which non-officials like businessmen, academics, retired civil and military officials, public figures, and social activists engage in ambassadorial works targeted at improving the image of a country.

In a bid to continually improve its ties with Nigeria and promote cultural exchange, the Korean Cultural Centre in Abuja hosted its third annual film festival at the Silverbird Entertainment Centre.

The American Embassy in Nigeria has offered to join the Evergreen initiative which FCMB commenced in Katsina State since 2010 in Partnership with Students In Free Enterprise (an NGO present in universities across the world) and the Service to Humanity Foundation (an NGO founded by Her Excellency, Fatima Ibrahim Shema, First Lady of Katsina state).

The initiative, which was launched by the William Sisters, Serena and Venus, during their recent visit, is set to go from school to school, inspiring girls to take the front row in sports and develop an indomitable and tenacious spirit that will help them challenge and conquer stereotypes and other traditional impediments to their success.

That Nigeria was born with great and positive dreams in 1960 is accepted by all. Taking the pulse of the domestic and international opinion in 1960, there was an expectation that Nigeria was going to be a great nation because it had a large population that dwarfed the population of most of the African states, it had vast quantities of natural resources and it had an enlightened elite, that was educated and experienced.

Brazilian firms hope that their reputation will ensure that opportunities keep coming. They are keen to distinguish themselves from competitors, especially the Chinese. They do not want to be seen as grabbing everything they can, says Rodrigo da Costa Fonseca, Andrade Gutierrez’s president in Africa.

The deportation back home of hundreds of Nigerian female pilgrims by the Saudi Arabian authorities is yet another blot on the country’s record of Islamic pilgrimages. That this happened amid official claims of adequate preparations further exposed an incompetent system and dented the morale of the Muslim faithful in the current pilgrimage, perhaps more than at any other time.