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LAI'S JOLLOF RICE

I had a neighbour once. A good neighbour. He told us back then that #JollofRice was quite tasty in Senegal.
Tonight though, the minister of Culture, Tourism and Information Alh. Lai Mohammed was asked on #CNN's Quest Means Business "which country makes the best #JollofRice" and Richard Quest actually had a bowl brought in for his view. "I would say Senegal" came the reply from the minister.
"There is shock from the country" predicted Richard Quest. Twitter Nigeria is quite displeased with the response and I'm certain others will follow. Two key areas for me in the interview: what are you positioning Nigeria as with Nollywood? Lai's response showed emphatically the directionless leadership of the incumbent administration. You do not have to be a brand strategist or a digital marketer to project Nigeria to the world as being the place for this and that! Oga Lai, that was your moment and you said something else.
Then when we thought you would redeem yourself and make a case for our #JollofRice you became the minister of Culture to the Republic of Senegal. Just imagine how many people would get a visa to Sengal for hearing you say that. Quite an embarrassment really. It may be a popular position that Senegal's Jollof rice is tasty but the question was not a "competition", it was a question begging Lai "please make a case for #Nigeria's tourism". Rather than present the intelligent answer, Lai Mohammed told the whole world to avoid Nigerian #JollofRice and choose Senegal's.
An African parable says "no one says his mother is a bad cook". Lai Mohammed has broken that record. My neighbour mind you never said that Senegal makes better #JollofRice than Nigeria, he only said they were quite tasty.

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