The Federal Government has faulted a recent United States travel advisory warning its citizens against visiting Nigeria, saying the move unfairly damages the country’s image.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar, speaking at a reputation management retreat in Abuja, said no country is completely safe.
“In 2024, about 47,000 people died from gun violence in America, yet we do not issue travel warnings against the US,” he said.
The US advisory had cited terrorism, kidnapping, and crime as reasons for caution, listing states such as Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Zamfara, and Abia among high-risk areas.
Tuggar stressed the need for Nigeria to control its own story, warning that failing to do so allows outsiders to shape perceptions.
“We must frame our national narrative with clarity and patriotic purpose,” he added.
Public relations expert Modupe Adetokunbo and NIPR President Ike Neliaku also urged Nigerians to tell more positive stories about the country to counter negative global perceptions.
