Nation Branding And COVID19: Why Europe And It’s Media Is Africa’s Problem

By Ikechi Uko

Over 50% of all Covid19 Deaths globally are from 5 Nations in Europe. More People have Died from these 5 Nations of Europe than the Whole World Put together. The Media is focused on China as a Cause, Donald Trump as a Failure and Africa as the Victims. Not Much is heard or Said about the unmitigated disaster in Europe. Europe has Failed the World and they are Busy doing Branding and Packaging.

 

I have always Complained of how Amanpour of CNN will leave a Problem in the West and be discussing Africa.

 

Europe is in a Mess but the Pity Party is being Shifted. We are being told about how Africa will be devastated. All na wash.

 

It is Nation Branding. Europe does not want to be Pitied or Stigmatized so Every trick in the book is in Play. So much So that UK is under-declaring Death Figures. It only announced 26k deaths in Hospitals while lots of Others are Dying in Homes and Care Centres. Belgium accused the UK of Sexing up figures. Yesterday UK Government announced they will include numbers of these deaths.so they were not giving right numbers? Chain

Also read: COVID-19: India On The Verge Of Developing Vaccine Faster Than Expected

Remember China was accused of Under declaring numbers.

It seems Everyone except the USA is playing PR games with Covid19 numbers. America seems more Transparent.

 

Now even African Countries have joined the Global game of deception and Nation Branding. Tanzania is not declaring figures again.

Even the US has started. President Trump called Nigerian President Buhari to offer 200 Ventilators. Ok, that’s PR. Nigeria needs Testing Kits and Money. But Oga Trump is the game now and he is good at it.

 

Ghana initially announced that it has the best Recovery rates which weren’t true. Senegal has taken over now announcing that it has the best Recovery rate in Africa also not true.

 

Senegal announced it has developed a testing Kit it will Share to Africa. Really? How come Ghana without a testing kit Factory has better testing Numbers than Senegal?

 

Madagascar claims it has a Drug that cures Covid19. Okay, Nigeria wants to order the Herbal drink from them. I hope it works. It had better work oh.

 

Every Nation is trying to use this Virus to Rebrand itself. Even in Nigeria a State Scientist was Sacked because he did more test than he was asked to do. He got Fired by the State Government.

Also read: COVID-19: FG Dispatches Nine-man Team To Kano

Only Cuba can claim Success at Managing this Crisis and Should be Sending Doctors everywhere to help. Britain needs lots of Cuban Doctors Now. Most Countries have asked and received the Cubans.

 

Europe is our Problem now.

This is why.

More Africans live in Europe than elsewhere in the World. If Europe does not heal Africa will not Heal. Almost all imported Cases in Africa came from Europe.

Africa looks up to Europe for Directions and as Europe has Failed this test Africans will justify Failing the same Test. Our Leaders can Claim that even Mighty Europe failed so there is no need to do Better.

Europe has Universal Healthcare and it Failed yet the US is accused of not having a good healthcare system that covers all. So why is the NHS yielding more deaths?

 

The US probably has more People than the Whole of Western Europe put together but has only suffered 58k deaths. Britain along with France and Spain are Colonial Masters and have Failed their Former Colonies. Europe is supposed to be a beacon of hope for their former Colonies now.

 

These Failures will be Covered up with Propaganda. An example is a letter by Piers Morgan to Donald Trump. Britain has a bigger Problem than America but someone in Britain is advising America on their Errors. Imagine if an American President gets Covid19 as UK PM did? The European media will be in a frenzy.

 

That’s Europe. At the End of Covid19 Travel Bans and Consequences will be imposed on Africans by Europe.

 

Meanwhile, they Failed us. The Victims will be Further Victimised. That’s how the World Rolls.

 

Europe inherited Colonial Wealth and has used it to a Devastating effect in its dealings with Africa. This is the Time to Come Clean.

Europe has a Problem and Africa may pay the price for it. Africa needs Europe to share the wealth not the Stigma. Time to forgive Debts and Colonial Liabilities. Africa needs a clean Slate Post Covid19.

 

Let the Nation Branding Exercise continue.

All Na wash.

 

Deaths have been reported from:

 

Africa: 1 525 deaths; the five countries reporting most deaths are Algeria (437), Egypt (359), Morocco (165), South Africa (93) and Cameroon (59).

 

Asia: 17 846 deaths; the five countries reporting most deaths are Iran (5 877), China (4 637), Turkey (2 992), India (1 007) and Indonesia (773).

 

America: 71 085 deaths; the five countries reporting most deaths are United States (58 355), Brazil (5 017), Canada (2 859), Mexico (1 569) and Ecuador (871).

 

Europe: 125 986 deaths; the five countries reporting most deaths are Italy (27 359), Spain (23 822), France (23 660), United Kingdom (21 678) and Belgium (7 331).

 

Oceania: 114 deaths; the four countries reporting deaths are Australia (88), New Zealand (19), Guam (5) and Northern Mariana Islands (2).

 

Other: 7 deaths have been reported from an international conveyance in Japan.

Courtesy of ECDC 29th April Update.

 

Ikechi Uko is a Nigerian travel business consultant, travel promoter, tourism development expert, and media consultant