Strategy 4 Improving Cities

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction.................................................................................................3

Branding.......................................................................................................4

Fundamentals of a successfully branded city..............................................6

Importance of city branding........................................................................8

Brief History of city branding......................................................................8

Lagos city metropolis.................................................................................10

Efforts made in the branding of Lagos city metropolis..............................13

Transformation of Lagos into a mega city..................................................15

The new mega city......................................................................................15

Transportation...........................................................................................16

Health.........................................................................................................17

Public-Private partnership.........................................................................18

Security.....................................................................................................20

Future Prospects of the new Lagos city .............................................. ...21

Sightseeing...............................................................................................23

Shopping..................................................................................................24

Tourism attraction in Lagos.....................................................................25

Strategies for improving Nigerian cities..................................................27

Introduction..............................................................................................27

Cities in need of rebranding.....................................................................28

Identification and implementation of the strengths of successfully

branded cities..........................................................................................29

Concentrated Facts.................................................................................30

Public face of Communication .............................................................30


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Living legends.........................................................................................31

Bilbao effect...........................................................................................32

The V I P city...........................................................................................32

Leipzig the artists new playground......................................................33

Brand building of tourism cities............................................................33

Conclusion............................................................................................34

References...........................................................................................35


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CITY BRANDING:A Strategies for Improving Nigerian Cities

A Case study of Lagos-Nigeria

Introduction :

Cities throughout Europe are increasingly importing the concept and techniques

of product branding for use within place marketing, in pursuit of wider urban

management goals, especially within the new conditions created by European

integration. Cities are more and more involved in global competition for visitors, talent

and private investments. As a result, city branding is now seen as a strategic activity

aimed at reaching various economic, political and socio-psychological objectives. City

branding seeks to change the ways in which a city is perceived by specified usergroups in order to make them act in favour of the citys present circumstances and

future needs.

City branding as an effective assertion of identity uses contemporary developments

in marketing theory and practice to suggest how product branding can be

transformed into city branding as a powerful image-building strategy1. City brandings

contemporary use is examined so that a framework for an effective place branding

strategy can be constructed. This study will explore cities as brands and branding acity properly. Good branding can assist in making cities desirable, just as bad branding

can assist in making cities undesirable. While some cities have prospered over the

years, others have suffered. In what way does the city brand make a difference? A city

must have good qualities in order to brand itself successfully, but a myriad of factors

are involved. Cooperative efforts between residents and municipal government are

one of the key factors in determining the branding potential of a city. Strengths of

successfully branded cities will also will be explored. This paper further illustrates acase study of a Nigerian city (i.e Lagos) that have positive brand images and continue

to experience brand success.

There are reasons why people choose particular cities in which to live. Certain

1Soren smidt-Jensen, urban and landscape studies Denmark


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cities are making comebacks even when the industries they were built on have

become obsolete. City planners and government are spending millions of naira in

brand investing to bring their cities to life, or in some instances , back to life.

Globalization has made it easier for newly developing cities to compete with older

more established cities, simply because people can live and work almost anywhere

now.

This paper talks about the strategies for improving Nigerian cities through city

branding using Lagos as a case study with the aim of determining the added value of

city branding .

There is the need to define some terminologies that will be used in the course of this

research :Branding:

A proces that makes it possible to sell a product to new customers, and alsostill can be sold to old customers.

This takes place by having a clear and consciuos profile, that creates anemotional image, and by using marketing and advertising finds new and old

loyal customers

The brand is the whole entity of the product, and the STORY about the product

Something more than just marketing Adding stories, values, emotions, pictures to a product (or building it into it)Branding a city is not just about the logo but the intricate details as small as

clean streets and as deep as getting a city's residents to feel proud to be brand

ambassadors. When citizens are proud, visitors are encouraged to find out what

the fuss is all about and then tell the world.

Branding isn't just about one logo or a strap-line, it's about coordinated activityand a joined-up approach to attract all the city's audiences.


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Place Branding: This could be any of

Country branding City branding City-area branding (Tourist) Destination branding e.t.c

Place branding is possible: it is, and has been, practiced consciously and

unconsciously for as long as cities have competed with each other for trade,

populations, wealth, power and prestige. People encounter places through

perceptions and images. Managing the place brand is an attempt to influence and

treat those perceptions and images in a way that is deemed favourable to thepresent circumstances and future needs of a place2. Places are not products,

governments are not producers and users are not costumers. Places have more

varied users, owners and governors than commercial corporations do. Not only

are the products more varied, so are the goals of the users and the utilities of the

consumers. Because of this, sufficient weight must be given to different

stakeholders for a city branding effort to be successful. Some strategists argue

that cities are what they are not because of location or attractions, but because ofthe ideas the people that live there create for them. This is true in part, but

Location or Place Branding is still highly utilized as a form of city branding.

City Branding

A process that makes it possible to sell a city (or city products) to newcustomers, and also still can be sold to old customers (e.g. old inhabitants,

investors, city-product buyers)

Something more than just city-marketing

Adding stories, values, emotions, pictures to a city dig up old stories about the city create new stories, fairytales

2Soren smidt-Jensen, urban and landscape studies Denmark


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building it into the city, fix also in the urban spaceCity branding can become a valid and effective form of urban

management. the important elements that makes the city function must be

put in place before meaningful branding.

FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF A SUCCESSFULLY BRANDED CITY

Its fundamental properties means that a good city must have the following:

Offer attractive employment.

Not be unduly expensive in relation to wages.

Provide good and affordable housing. Have reasonable public transportation.

Have good schools and recreational/cultural attractions.

Have a reasonable climate.

The way that brands work for a city is how these qualities are projected: by wordof-

mouth, public relations, and in some cases, advertising. These attributes must

be based on something substantial. The city must be live-able. There must be an

attraction to individuals.

The following traits are characteristics of strong brands that cities need if they are to

develop as brands on their own.

Functionality

In order for a brand to be strong it must be functional. Functionally strong and

functionally distinctive. The first purchase characteristic is functionality, the rest is

added value. Cities, like brands, must be functional. To both, functionality meansobservable benefits. A city must function as a destination for employment, industry,

housing, public transportation, and recreational attractions. For instance, New York

possesses all of these functions, and does it distinctively. Not every city has the

employment, industry or public transportation that New York does. An individual does


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not need a car to get around in New York because all of its distinctive attractions are

available by means of walking, taxis, the subway, or other public transportation with a

minimal amount of inconvenience. This is part of the functionality of the city of New

York.

Added Value

Not all products are brands. Real brands provide not only functional benefits but non-

functional added value. Strong brands must have added value in the mind of the

consumer .Strong brands are built on: functionality and added value. Some of this is

logical, but most of it is not. Its emotional and subconscious. Added value translates

into loyalty, and this loyalty is key in determining the success of the brand. If there is

added value or perceived added value, we will make time for the brand

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. Thepersonal connection and simplicity of the brand message adds value and

differentiates a brand from that of its competitors. If city brands are to succeed, they

must possess functionality and added value. For instance if we look at New York City.

What is the functionality and added value of the New York brand? Historically, New

York had original functional properties such as its harbor, surrounding farms, and its

location. Then there was its theater scene, restaurants, culture, attractions,

reputation, and diversity that contributed to its added value. From this standpoint, thebrand of New York has added value in comparison to other brands because it is highly

distinctive. It offers more than many other cities because people with diverse

backgrounds, interests and tastes can agree on this preference for New York because

theres something in it for everyone. Outlined below are four of the added values that

brands must have in order to succeed

1. Peoples Experience of the City2.

Perception. How is the population perceived?

3. Belief in the City. Does it stand for something? e.g. industry, technology,and culture .e.t.c

4. Appearance: What does the city look like?3Robert Jones, consultant director at international brand consultancy Wolff Olins,


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Integration

A city must be integrated in order to have a good brand. What many

unknown or poorly branded cities forget in their planning stages is that sameness

is mundane and boring. In order for people to get excited about living somewhere

there has to be diversity. Fundamentally, cities that make things different and

accept alternative lifestyles are the ones that thrive in culture, the arts, science,

and technology.

IMPORTANCE OF CITY BRANDING

Successful branding, can turn a city into a place where people want to live,

work and visit

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. City-branding seems to be increasingly necessary, also for small and medium

scale enterprises (SMEs)

Potentially, it can expand the reach of the city, and city-prodcuct, outwards

Searching for city stories, city values, city pictures (images) and city

visions, can be especially relevant for cities that have lost their identity during

a phase of transition (Inward-branding)

It can create joining visions (and missions), and bring citizens and local actorstogether - but it can also create split-visions.

BRIEF HISTORY OF CITY BRANDING

The concept of branding the idea that one product is made more valuable, has more

equity than an alternative because it is attached to a recognizable name and promise

of authenticity began about 200 years ago, when Josiah Wedgwood realized that

stamping his name on his pottery and naming his dinnerware after English nobilitymade it more desirable. Fast-forward to the 1930s when Procter & Gamble's Neil

McElroy, the company's promotion department manager, developed the "P&G brand

management system," an organizational structure that assigned groups of people to

4Robert Jones, consultant director at international brand consultancy Wolff Olins,


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handle specific marketing strategies for competing brands. By the 1970s and '80s,

"brand manager" was a coveted job title for the typical business school graduate, and

by the mid-1990s, branding began to be applied not just to products but to the

retailers that sell them, with names like Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works.

Since the turn of the millennium everyone else is discovering branding. It was

inevitable therefore ,that the people who market cities would turn to a concept that

has been so productive and successful for others. Cities are competing for peoples

lifestyles, and in order to do this successfully they need to maintain a strong brand.

Dying cities are weak in these areas. For instance, if a city possesses a bad brand

image, it is difficult to shake that perception and change public opinion about the city.

Bruce Katz, director of the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy at the BrookingsInstitution comments: A pack of cities is racing away from everybody else in terms of

their ability to attract and retain an educated workforce. It is a sobering trend for the

cities left behindCity branding is a common practice adopted by many cities in the

context of intensified urban competition for mobile resources, markets, opportunities

and attention.

The historic goal of branding has been to identify the person or location where

a product has its origins. From antiquity, the authors assure us, the value of a brandhas been recognized by consumers, who reward the best producers with their loyalty,

and by producers themselves, who are aware that their brands symbolize good

practices.According to the experts, a powerful brand provides a meaningful

competitive advantage and it is extremely hard for competitors to duplicate.

However, it is increasingly hard to find products and services that are genuinely

unique. These days, most innovation comes from small variations in a products

formula, price and quality. To succeed, you have to emphasize the emotional appealof your brand, which means making a significant investment in marketing. Experts say

that good city brands are built on the confidence of citizens that they will not be

disappointed. Those cities and locations that hope to develop their own successful


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brand need to learn how to build a brand that constantly attracts visitors and

investors by meeting their expectations.

On the other hand, locations have also become important attributes for some

commercial city brands, largely because industrial development in a particular sector

is often focused entirely in a single city or region.

The Origin of Location-based Brands

According to the study, using locations for branding purposes is as old as history

itself. Even ancient civilizations such as the Roman Empire acted as brands, along with

their cultural values, identities and power. On occasion, an artificial image of a location

can build a consensus throughout history. Locations act as brands because peoplewant to be proud of their place of origin. As a result, manipulating the image of cities,

cultures and experiences has become the most important component of the entire

branding process.

During the nineteenth century, newly created nation states used all of their powers to

unify their languages and religions, and to create a sense of national identity through

such means as standardized national education. In this context, the creation of a

country-of-origin product became very important, and it remains so today. If you wantyour brand to have a presence in a broader market, you can leverage its association

with a particular location to capture a broader market.

With regard to emerging nations, authors write that they are very aware that

they will have to rely on commercial branding because that approach will give their

products a sort of seal of approval. When a city doesnt do a good job of managing

the relationships between its business brands and its locations, it can wind up being

a negative experience for that city.LAGOS CITY METROPOLIS

Background Information

Lagos State was created on May 27, 1967 and is the most populous city in Nigeria and

the largest, with a total land area of 3,577 square meters (356,861 hectares, of which


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75,755 hectares are wetlands). It is one of the few states that bound the Atlantic

Ocean on Nigeria's southern shores. Lagos State is located on the south-western part

of Nigeria on the narrow coastal flood plain of the Bight of Benin. The southern

boundary of the state is formed by a 180 kilometer Atlantic coastline, while its

northern and eastern boundaries are shared with Ogun State. On the western side,

the boundary is bordered by the Republic of Benin. The geographical extent of Lagos

State comprises the city of Lagos and four other administrative divisions - Ikeja,

Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry.

The Old Lagos City

On the eve of Nigeria's independence, Lagos City was designated a Federal Territory

administered by a Council comprising elected representatives, as well as traditionalchiefs appointed by government. Since the 1960s, the fortunes of city government

had changed along with Nigeria's political climate; its administrative system has thus

varied from elected council through sole administrators appointed by military

governments.

Lagos: the commercial an industrial hub of Nigeria

Lagos is the commercial and industrial hub of Nigeria, with a GNP that triples that of

any other West African country. Lagos has greatly benefited from Nigeria's naturalresources in oil, natural gas, coal, fuel wood and water. Light industry was prevalent

in post-independence Nigeria and petroleum-related industry dominated in the

1970's, directly affecting the rapid growth of Lagos.


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Energy and water access, sewerage, transportation and housing have all been

adversely affected by haphazard development of a geographically disjointed city.

Unlike the rest of Nigeria, 90% of the population of Lagos then had access to

electricity, with the city consuming 45% of the energy of the country. Despite the

region's endowment of water, the city suffers from an acute and worsening water

supply shortage. With congested bridges, traffic congestion is a daily problem in the

old Lagos: it takes an average of two to three hours to travel 10-20 kilometres. A high-

speed, elevated metro-liner is in the planning stages.

Since 1985, state urban renewal plans had concentrated on upgrading the

environment of slum communities by building roads and drainage channels and

providing water supply, electricity, schools and health clinics. With cooperation fromthe citizens, success had been recorded in a number of pilot urban renewal schemes,

which focus on building roads and drainage channels and providing water supply,

electricity, schools and health clinics.

Lagos is the economic nerve centre of both Nigeria and the western coast of

Africa. It hosts the premier international airport in Nigeria, Murtala Muhammed

International Airport, which handles about 10 million passengers every year includingover 82 per cent of the country's International departures and nearly half of its

domestic connections. Lagos is also a road transport hub with exits to the east, west

and north of Nigeria; a network which handles 70per cent of the international cargo

entering and exiting Nigeria through its seaports, Lagos is the headquarters of the


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Nigerian operations of most multinational corporations as well as national companies.

There are 2,000 industrial complexes, 10,000 commercial ventures, 29 industrial

estates and several business districts in Lagos. As a result, the city accounts for over

30 per cent of the national GDP and 60% of its

VAT (value added tax) receipts. Lagos is

therefore the engine that drives Nigeria's

commerce and offers massive, long-term

urbanisation opportunities for developmental

investors and venture capitalists looking for

pre-History of Lagos.

EFFORTS MADE IN THE BRANDING OF LAGOS CITY METROP

OLISThis section of the paper examines the effectiveness of efforts to brand the cities of

Lagos. Based on an analysis of official branding strategies through the activities of the

Lagos State Government, and an attitudinal survey of peoples understanding of

Lagos cities, the paper investigates to what extent the current campaign has caught

the citys good attributes. The paper finds a mismatch between the identity and core

values as branded by the city government, and the realities as experienced by visitors

and residents.Being a good city brand means the city is sustainable that is, improving the

quailty of life in the city, including ecological, cultural, political, institutional, social and

economic components without leaving a burden on future generation.

An exciting magazine feature programme of Cable News Network (CNN) shows that

all may not have been lost in this country. An illuminating report on the plan to

transform the "gigantic and creaking" Lagos into a mega-city. According to the report,

Lagos, which currently has a population of 15 million would hit 25 million by 2015 andbecome the third largest city in the world, and as such urgently requires a thorough

makeover.

As the report showed, Lagos State has embarked on massive reclamation of the

Atlantic Ocean, using the Rainbow Technique developed by Norwegians. Lagos is


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reclaiming some 6.5km (4 miles) long and 1.5km (1 mile) wide of the ocean and also

generally upgrading the existing dilapidated infrastructure in the quest to improve

Lagos, create a mega-city and boost employment. Already, evidence abound of the

effort being made to arrest what CNN described as "rush hour mayhem" with the

relentless rehabilitation of existing roads (including those otherwise known as

Federal) and construction of new ones. The major streets in the metropolis are being

lit up-one after the other in the ongoing street-lighting campaign. Indeed beyond the

CNN report, it is clear to all that Lagos state is truly working. At a recent public event,

the stormy petrel of Labour unionism in Nigeria, now Governor of Edo State, Comrade

Adams Oshiomole, publicly admitted that if all states could experience the kind of

transformation happening in Lagos, the public perception of government and peoplein government will certainly change, and more importantly, the lives of the people will

change.

The CNN programme was not just considered a public relations victory for the

government and people of Lagos State, but indeed a major boost for the image of

Nigeria as a country. The programme did so much in the now urgently desperate (or

desperately urgent) quest to burnish the battered reputation of Nigeria, which the

Honourable Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, is sopassionately but trying to achieve with logos and slogans.

At 5th Stakeholders Forum held on Thursday 24th of June 2010 at the Golden Tulip

Hotel Festac, Stakeholders in the Outdoor Advertising Industry have expressed

satisfaction with the efforts of the Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency

(LASAA).At the occasion, a proposal on the Lagos Image /City Branding project being

managed by LASAA was presented to the audience. The project is a proposal for the

development of a brand identity for Lagos State. The Lagos City Branding project isexpected to give Lagos a true image and Identity through a destination branding

strategy.


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In his speech, the Managing Director of the Lagos State Signage & Advertisement

Agency (LASAA), Mr. Makanjuola Alabi urged all Outdoor Advertising Practitioners

practicing in the State to give due attention to their business.

The forum was concluded with all stakeholders agreeing to work together with LASAA

in achieving its vision and objective while also ensuring a scenic and beautiful outdoor

experience in Lagos State.

The Transformation of Lagos into Africa's Model Mega City

The New Mega City - Lagos

Lagos is divided into 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council

Development Areas (LCDAs) along the lines of Nigeria's federal system of

government. The State government is made up of the executive, legislative and

judicial branches. The current Governor of Lagos State Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN),

has redefined the role of leadership by successfully transforming Lagos into an

organized city. His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) is endowed with with a

noble vision and purposeful mission, inspired by a matchless passion for his beloved

state. From one end of Lagos to the other; in diverse sectors including roads, security,

health, education, the environment, housing, job creation and poverty alleviation,

there is abundant evidence of democracy dividends being delivered for the benefit of

the people. These are the undeniable sirens proclaiming for all to hear the virtues of a

visionary Governor.

Lagos: overview


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Governor Fashola's strategy is highly-focused on a total regeneration of a long

emasculated city and a master-plan that encompasses and exploits the suburban

sprawl that makes up Lagos State of Nigeria in order to free up the congested

mainland and island city centers. As the financial hub of West Africa and host to many

of the continent's largest banks, Lagos is of vast importance not only to Nigeria but to

the new world economy which is taking hold across the globe.

Lagos also hosts the headquarters of the oil majors who drive the petroleum

mainstay of the Nigerian economy. On the front burner of the renewal of Lagos City is

both the immediate upgrade of existing infrastructure and the construction of brand

new elements. The government approaches the need for enormous investment from

two key perspectives. Better infrastructure in the city will attract the foreigninvestments needed to address the social relapse that exists while redressing the

average living conditions of the people

Transportation

The strategy deployed by Lagos State to address the transportation challenges has

worked effectively even though further efforts are still required. A multi-modal

solution employs the land, water and airspace capacities of Lagos. Roadtransportation is still by far the most popular means of getting around. Intensive road

construction and rehabilitation is ongoing even as a new system of road

transportation is being put in place. The government has introduced a Bus Rapid

Transport (BRT) system and has remodeled the existing infrastructure to

accommodate this system.The BRT has at its core a mass transit system with luxury

buses plying between the limits of the city. The convenience of this system has gone a

long way in helping to free up the city. However, the BRT system requires additionalimprovements and fresh investment to ensure its sustainability.


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Bus Rapid Transport system in Lagos state

The Lagos ferry system has seen a resurgence as the government works on

diversifying the means of transportation available for daily commuters. Concessions

are to be granted to operators of such services with options for the building and

operation of jetties at major terminals throughout Lagos. Light-rail system

development has already commenced and capacity for more development in that area

also exists. Without doubt, investment opportunities abound in the Lagos state

economy through direct briefs and the private public partnership programmes which

the Lagos state government currently favours. There are immediate needs in areas of

water supply, waste management and refuse collection, infrastructure (road and

bridge construction) as well as transportation (buses, coaches, ferries etc). All these

opportunities are substantially behind the enormous need for them as the business

influence of Lagos spreads deeper into the rest of West Africa.

The state government in recognition of the urgency for rapid growth has a new

international airport planned for the Lekki Free Tade Zone LFTZ. While the intra-city

light-rail link has been proposed and indeed, forms part of the new Lagos-Badagry

Expressway project which leads to Benin, several other major links to key bus and

train terminals are ready for immediate development. Lagos State is therefore eager

to partner with local and international corporations and investors to provide these

essential and potentially highly lucrative infrastructural facilities.


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Overhead and alternative transport routes to reduce traffic problems

Health

Yearly in Nigeria, over 500 women die during childbirth. Maternal mortality occurs in

developing countries at an alarming rate. Majority of the dead are women who were

not primarily cared for by the hospital and only came for treatment when they were

close to dying and it was virtually too late to save them. The case would have been

different if these women had received the appropriate care early enough. As a result

of these deaths and serious ailments also caused by childbirth, 189 countries met in

2000 and proposed the reduction of maternal mortality by 75% by the year 2015, as the

5th millennium development goal (MDG), emphasizing the enormity of the situation.

The solution was the obstetric care (EMOC). EMOC is currently being recommended

by most of the international agencies including WHO, UNICEF etc. The Lagos State

government has thus commenced a cascade of training in EMOC from April 2008

onwards in order to improve the capacity of their staff to reduce maternal mortality.

Plans are also being made to bring in the Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO)

course, an internationally accredited course, which will further teach and entrench

practical skills in saving lives of mothers and their babies.

In addition, the Lagos State government is building Maternal and Child centres in

densely populated areas within the States. These centres will provide secondary level

health care to pregnant women during and after pregnancy, their newborn babies and

existing children, all under one roof.

The Nigerian Health Ministry, WHO, UNFPA, UNAIDS, World Bank and UNICEF are all

committed to the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Heath, The


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Partnership has identified the need to integrate newborn, child health and maternal

care interventions through the integrated Maternal, Newborn and Child Heath

Strategy (IMNCH), in order to dramatically reduce child and maternal mortality by

2015.

Public-Private Partnership Win-win initiatives

The heavy investment made by the state government while resolving a number of

former setbacks set the tone today for a period of renewed possibility with the

introduction of a more varied approach to urban challenges. The private sector has

been able to observe the dedication and commitment of the state government and its

willingness to provide investors with an enabling environment for viable investment in

infrastructure. With several flexible structural systems, investors can speedily accessresources, government clearances, and a string of incentives in order to facilitate

operations within the state and provide clear indicators of project viability.

The implementation of Public Private Partnership is in conformity with world best

practices, focusing on transparency, proper accountability, due process, responsive

and responsible interests, mutually beneficial relationships, zero tolerance for

corruption, avoidance of white elephant projects, quality and standardized

executions, cost and profit recovery, rule of law, and an equitable legal framework.The Lagos State Public Private Partnership initiative is open to various investment

options ranging from equity participation, various leasing options, BOT, concession

airing, tenancy maintenance, etc. Joint venture initiatives are also welcome as long as

the parties show evidence of expertise in the specific area and proof of the legality of

their association. Lagos State is widely available for all sectoral projects, irrespective

of financial implications and level of sophistication.

A number of Public Private Partnership projects are already on-going around Lagos

and the government is pursuing many more such concessions. The key areas needing

immediate investments are transportation, a massive network of roads, highways,

and light-rail tracks, bridges, waterway development, residential and commercial


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housing, hospitality, and waterfront development along Lagos, white sand beaches,

and social infrastructure - especially in the education, health and sports sectors. The

government is also eager to attract investors and operators of road, rail and water

transportation as well as hospitality, and creation of facilities.

The Public Private Partnership initiative is designed to be project-based with

meaningful impact on the lives of Lagosians. It is therefore focused on projects that

are visible, achievable within a specified period of time, and which allows financial off-

balance sheet on government. The initiative is open to both domestic and foreign

investors. The philosophy of the Lagos State Public Private Partnership is to take

governance and public administration to the next level, relieving the state of projects,which can best be handled by the private sector.

Project proposals must include: Nature of project, Detailed project feasibility studies,

Detailed financial outlay/Source of funding, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

studies, Evidence of experience and expertise in area of choice project, Evidence of

company registration/Tax Responsibility, Draft of Understanding/Agreement between

investor and the Lagos State government.

Security

One of the recent successes of the government of Lagos State has been in the area of

law and order and public security. With the help of a fledging relationship with the

Nigerian Police, and the involvement of corporate bodies in security management and

the formation of several new social order enforcement agencies, there has been a

dramatic fall in crime rate in the metropolis. In addition, there is much improved publiccompliance to new regulations in developmental, environ-mental and public conduct

in recent years Lagos nightlife has steadily returned to full steam as security concerns

have ebbed.


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Recently, the local authority has sought to raise the level of city security even higher

by using applicable technology. Lagos is scheduled to soon implement a network

system of CCTVs on its streets and around public centers. A new free lifestyle is

emerging in Lagos as the city has taken great strides in ensuring security, and has

become conducive for social activities and urban exploration.

Future Prospect for the new Lagos City - The Lekki Trade Zone

The Lekki Free Trade Zone is located on the Lekki Peninsula southeast of the city of

Lagos on the Lekki Lagoon, and it is the icing on the cake of the vision of a brand new

Lagos. The fast developing corridor, one of the fastest growing new areas in the worldis swiftly re-ordering the demographics of the city of Lagos. The city center is moving

further down this corridor. The Lekki Free Trade Zone is a new city under

development with commercial and residential components.

This development has been divided into three distinct phases. Lekki. The first-phase

will cover an area of 15 square kilometers and will include an industrial park

highlighted by light industry, textiles, building materials, household electric

appliances, communications, machine lometers with a total investment of five billiondollars, focusing on heavy industry manufacturing, chemical, petroleum processing,

pharmaceuticals, automobiles, logistics, import/export businesses, tourism, real

estate, education and banking and finance, among others. Within this free trade zone

is planned a deep sea port which will provide exporters with even better access to

regional and international markets. At the core of the development strategy adopted

for the FTZ is a public private partnership arrangement. processing, real estate and

gardening. The phase II and Phase III projects will cover 150 square kilometers with atotal investment of five billion dollars, focusing on heavy industry manufacturing,

chemical, petroleum processing, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, logistics,

import/export businesses, tourism, real estate, education and banking and finance,

among others. Within this free trade zone is planned a deep sea port which will


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provide exporters with even better access to regional and international markets. At

the core of the development strategy adopted for the FTZ is a public private

partnership arrangement.

The highly successful collaboration with a consortium of Chinese companies has

already seen the installation of major infrastructure as part of Phase I. This

infrastructure which includes a dedicated power plant and water and sewage

treatment plants is currently under construction. The sea port is planned to maximize

the area's prime position heavy industries such as petrochemicals and oil refineries set

to develop around the port.

The zone will be sealed by fencing walls, and dedicated police stations will provide top

quality security, while the 50 kilometer-long Lekki-Epe Expressway will soon link thezone to central Lagos. There are opening and access to a plentiful supply of raw

materials for investors in fields such as agri-processing, clothing and textiles, food and

beverages, forestry, mining and pharmaceuticals.

There has been a marked transformation in the landscape of the city of Lagos as

driven by an aggressive environmental renewal programme. This has seen the

restoration of once decrepit parks, squares and public areas, the greening of large

swathes of arable inner city land as well as the recovery of under bridge areas that hadhitherto been usurped for. In addition, the master plan for the restoration of

downtown Lagos Island City center and the new link roads being built across the city

all factor in a comprehensive greening effort. The Lagos State government is set to

build new road arteries through the more compact parts of the city in order to free up

access and permit the city to breathe the more. The government has also embarked

on massive removal of illegal structures and the relocation of street markets to new

custom-built locations. Street trading is also being tackled in order to reduceenvironmental hazards and related traffic bottlenecks. Traffic management has

received a new lease of life with the city-wide deployment of traffic lights and street

signs.


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In addition, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency in conjunction with the

Lagos State Waste Management Authority provides the regulatory and operational

framework with which to maintain recent improvements as well as planned upgrades

around the city. Overall, the outlook is to make Lagos attractive again as a leading

world city, with a historical heritage and world-class environment.

Infrastructural restoration in Lagos state

The historical city center of Lagos has seen an infrastructural restoration recently.

Brand new roads have replaced the old ones in the colonial Marina district and its side

streets. Some of the markets that have taken over. What used to be the center of

downtown Lagos have been relocated or shut down, and there are plans to restore

landmark buildings to their former glory. Dredging of the numerous canals that windtheir way throughout Lagos is an on-going project. It is hoped that this will provide

the much-awaited relief from the perennial flooding of the city during the rainy

season. These channels are being cleared of man-made blockages, and as a result,

water now flows naturally, emptying into the main water bodies that surround the

city.

Sightseeing

Organized commercial sightseeing tours of the city are rare, yet the island is full ofhistorical sites. A major monument is the Iga dngnrn, official residence of the Oba

of Lagos on Upper King Street. Another is the Old Secretariat, built in 1906 to house

colonial offices. It still stands a short distance from the Lagos Island Hospital.


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On the Marina stands NITEL House, Africa's tallest building and home to some

magnificent sculpture. Not far off is the State House where colonial governors lived

until 1960. The General Post Office building and the Anglican Church, built in the

eighteenth century, are worth seeing too. The NEPA building has a bronze statue of

Shng, god of thunder, before it. The Elder Dempster building, originally the main

office block for the passenger and freight steamship service to London and the West

African coast, also stands on the Marina.

The Tafawa Balewa Square now stands where once the racecourse was. Nearby are

King's College and old Supreme Court buildings. There is also Lagos City Hall, seat of

the island's local government. Nearly every street on the island symbolizes history; theinterested sightseer cannot wait for insights on life past. The National Museum east

of Tafawa Balewa Square is home to a variety of local art treasures and handicraft,

including the Benin bronzes, the Ife and Owo terracotta busts, and the Igbo-Ukwu

bronze castings. On the mainland, the National Theatre, main venue of the Second

World Black and African Festival held in 1977, stands out among many other

monuments.

Sports stadium was built in 1930 and six years later named after King George V.

Between 1963 and 1973, it became known as the Lagos City Stadium, The Onikan

Stadium, which replaced it, was opened for football and cultural activities in the 1980s.

The National Stadium was built in 1976 in Surulere on the Mainland; its sitting capacity

is estimated at between 80,000 and 100,000. Smaller facilities are scattered around

Greater Lagos, for example, in Agge and in premises owned by large commercial

ventures. In the city, as elsewhere, the average secondary school is almost certain tohave some facilities for athletics and at least football, the game Nigerians love above

anything else. Lagos has been the main venue for several sports fiestas, among them

the Second All African Games held in 1972 and the African Cup of Nations Cup

tournament, co-hosted with Ghana and concluded in February 2000.


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Shopping

Lagos is renowned as much for rows after rows of shops as for its irrepressible street

vendors. From dwellings through workshops to road shoulders and space between

vehicles in "go slow," hardly a square yard of space knowingly goes to waste without

being put to some commercial use.

The Jnkara market offers new or second-hand clothing, jewelry, musical instruments,

and hardware; the sl k market is known for food items while the Balgun market

specializes in imported and African clothing material. The Bar Beach market on

Ahmadu Bello Road offers food products and handi-craft, such as baskets, leather,

and batik. Other markets in the city include the ggr market, named after localgin, the main commodity on offer, and the bt r, ta Fj, and Sandgrouse

markets. The Flomo shopping center in ky is on Awolowo Road. On the mainland

the Tjos market in Surulere offers a variety of goods, as do other markets in pp

and Mushin, among others. In all cases, traders are eager to cut deals on prices; a

consumer can buy cheap or dear, depending on his ability to haggle and negotiate

business, the trader's mood, or time of day.

Tourism Attraction in Lagos

Lagos enjoys an impeccable stretch of over 50 kilometers of prime, white sand

coastline which is largely unexplored for tourism. The Atlantic coast has had a

historical and strategic importance to the city for centuries. As early as the 15th

century, Portuguese merchants ran their export-import commerce from Lagos. The

slave trade utilised Lagos as a major hub for the onward delivery of slaves to the

Americas and Europe. Echoes of history still resound today in many parts of the cityincluding the internationally recognised Badagry passage, a national heritage site on

the coast that attracts thousands of tourists every year.


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The city's history resonates in its diverse architecture and in the names given to

streets, communities, and districts. For example, Oke Faji, Popo Aguda, Campos

Square, Pedro, and Martin Streets are steeped in Brazilian traditions, having been

settled originally by Brazilian immigrants who started returning in the 1850s. Saro

Town was land assigned by the then Oba of Lagos to Sierra Leonean expatriates after

the 1850s. The Shitta-Bey Mosque and the Holy Cathedral Church, both in central

Lagos, also bear testimony to Brazilian architectural influence.

Lagos also has the added advantage of an enduring rich cultural heritage with a host

of festivals led by the legendry Eyo Festival. This white masquerade carnival is hosted

by the highest level of traditional leaders in the city and in memory of fallen Yorubaleaders. The festival is so important in the calendar of Lagos city that the Executive

Governor of Lagos State acts as the de facto chief host which attracts the Who's who

of the Lagos' elite.

The Lagos beach and sports tourism is an area of great economic potential. The Eko

Atlantic City which is a new government/private initiative is perhaps the catalyst for

other similar projects and initiatives in a clearly very viable economic area. The

government envisions a Lagos coastline populated by hotels, resorts, health clubs,sports and conferencing facilities as well as a thriving water sports industry.

Lagos is also the headquarters of the acclaimed third largest movie industry in the

world. After Hollywood and Bollywood, there is Nigeria's Nollywood. Most of

Nigeria's films are made here and many of Africa's leading stars live in Lagos. The

thriving Nigerian music industry is also headquartered in Lagos and the studios churn

out world beats on a daily basis. Tourism and culture, therefore, are major outletsthrough which Lagos State expects to attract major investment and benefit from

major income.


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STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING NIGERIAN CITIES

Introduction

In todays environment cities compete against each other for talent, business andresources. In many ways they have to act like commercial enterprises by selling

themselves to potential customers business investors, visitors and the creative

classes as successful, vibrant, forward-looking brands.

Modern cities must re-examine their role and purpose as well as define their appeal to

consumers. They must distinguish themselves from their competitors and position

themselves as a recognisable brand in an increasingly international market place.

Relying on past glory is no longer enough. Today, successful companies and youngtalented people have lost hometown loyalties. They can choose where to cluster.

Cities with distinctive characteristics, be they economic, cultural, environmental or life

style, will attract the best companies and people.

This study determines what cities need to focus on in order to survive in the global

economy, this study further explores what strong brands possess and what cities

need in order to brand themselves successfully.

In order for a city to be a good brand, it must possess defining and distinctivecharacteristics that can be readily identified. These are functional as well as

non-functional qualities. These include city appearance, peoples experience of

the city, peoples belief in the city, what the city stands for, and what kind of

people inhabit the city.

The successful cities: New York, Paris, and San Francisco had the qualities

that strong brands do, and marketed their history, quality of place, lifestyle,

culture, diversity, and formed cooperative partnerships between city municipalitiesand government in order to enhance their infrastructure. They were

proactive in their approach.

There is also evidence that The Creative Class has become a force to be reckoned


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with, one that cities need to avoid overlooking. Richard Florida (2002) defined the

idea worker or creative class as people in science, engineering, architecture,

education, arts, music, and entertainment, whose economic function is to create

new ideas, new technology, and/or new creative content. His Studies conducted

conclude that it is important to attract this class in order to have a highly educated

and open minded city population. This class has an important role in city branding.

In the previous pages of this paper, the reader is given information about why cities

need to be branded like commercial products in order to be successful. It is possible

for a city to have a brand and an image that evolves into a quality of place. This in

turn establishes brand loyalty, which is essential to a citys survival. It is also

possible for a poorly branded city, with the right strategy, to turn itself into asuccess.

City In Need Of Rebranding

City of violence

City of scandals

A city that has lost its identity

The need to Persuading people to stay in a city Needs to get beyond the (post-)industrialisation image

The need to make the citizens to be proud of the city again - they have lost

their faith in constructive dialogue because of scandals at that city.

The sensuous quality of a city depends firstly on the way it is organised to function

and secondly, on the aesthetic consciousness of people in maintaining and promoting

such quality. Involvement of the residents therefore is the most important, that thebranding will be a project where all inhabitants are involved 100%. With the hope that

branding will result into making all citizens good ambassadors of the city. The

following are strategies that can be used in the branding of Nigerian cities:


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Identification and Implementation of the strengths of Successfully Branded Cities

Successful cities have an interesting history, albeit sometimes colorful; where

change, progress, and diversity were embraced. All of the positive attributes of the

city were important focal points for the people. A good relationship between

municipal government and the residents of the city also existed in the cities that were

successful. Since each city resident is a walking-talking advertisement, support from

residents and belief in the city brand were attributes these cities possessed. These

cities branded themselves in ways their residents found believable, and in doing so,

the brand was reinforced as truthful. This reinforcement came in many forms such as

word-of-mouth, political climate perception, advertising, early public relations, and

graphic design. As their positive attributes were exposed, this reinforced the positivecity brand. These cities also had functionality and added value, much like strong

brands. The original qualities they possessed were based on the function of their

geographic location for trade, industry, employment, and economy. But their added

value contributed to their distinctiveness as a brand, and this was specifically outlined

in their culture, attractions, and people. In other words, there was more to the city

than just employment, more to attract people that would say this is a quality place to

live. These cities had cooperation between the residents and municipal government,and moved forward with common goals to initiate growth, development, and success

for the city. They embraced all of their history what they were in the past, are now,

and will ultimately become. While they honored their past, they still managed to

merge it with future goals in order to adjust to globalization. Cities that adapted not

only to changing economic conditions, but also to political climate and other factors,

were survivors. They embraced new political climates, world events, shifts in

attitudes, and attempted to cooperate to find common ground with people. They didnot seek one type of resident nor did they expect one type of business or industry to

sustain them. By adapting to and embracing diverse cultures, people, and ideas; they

evolved into a strong city brand that survived.


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Concentrated Facts

The second thing cities can do is to acquire and disseminate concentrated facts

and find out as much information as possible. This information should be consolidated

into research based on at least a period of 10 years. This includes:

Population

Industry

Tax Base

Attractions

Inward Investment

Tourism

ResidentsBusiness Climate

Peoples Perception of the City

The Projected City Brand

Economic Trends

The city also needs to obtain qualitative information on inhabitants, businesspeople,

and potential residents to attract people to move to and/or to invest in

the city. The city needs to have a focused strategy and cooperation betweenresidents, the business community and municipal government in order to be

in a position to be proactive rather than reactive to the ever-changing needs of the

population.

TheP

ublic Face of Communications

Another strategy for improving Nigerian cities is to promote the public face of

communication for our cities. The public face of communications for a city can be

promoted in many ways.


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This includes attractions, landmarks, people, symbols, animals, climate, topography,

recreation, business, industry, and world events. While in some cases it can include

advertising, the public face is much more than just a brand campaign, and developing

a cohesive brand is paramount to success. The support of local and government

officials in any city also puts a face on public communications, and this is evident in

whether or not these elected officials have the support of their residents. When this is

lacking, it reflects on the brand for the entire city. The most significant aspect to the

public face of communications in regards to any city is that the brand delivers and is

consistent and cohesive. The city has to offer the things it claims to; otherwise, like

any brand it is doomed to failure.

Living legends

As with companies, a city's distinctiveness begins with an understanding of what it

wants to be and what it has to offer. The city's actual condition is established and then

the distinctive features and tools at its disposal are determined with a view to carving

out a clear and strong identity.

Because the identity of a particular city is inevitably influenced by its past, it seems

reasonable to take advantage of old strengths. Cities with an imposing historicarchitecture and long-standing traditions can seize the opportunity of successfully

building their new identities around such heritage. A good example is Rome. For

Rome, as with any other city of culture, historical edifices are essential ingredients of

its identity, image, and attractiveness. Every year the Coloseum and the Vatican

Museums attract some four million tourists, while the Eiffel Tower surpasses six

million visitors annually. But not only historic monuments attract paying visitors in

their millions. MunichsOk

toberfest, the world's largest amusement fair, alsowelcomes some six million guests each year. Cities that do not enjoy the benefit of a

rich cultural heritage have to, if they dont want to be overlooked, develop their own

style and attractions. Bilbao is the prefect example


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The Bilbao Effect

In the second half of the 20th century, Bilbao suffered from the effects of a declining

steel and shipbuilding industry. A strategy was needed to transform the city into a

centre for tourism and modern service industries. Of course,

the city was fortunate to having been chosen by the Solomon

R Guggenheim Foundation as the location for its new museum

and having had Frank Gehry to design a landmark building,

which, in terms of impact, is second only to the Sydney Opera

House.

The Guggenheim Museum transformed Bilbao into a top city brand

Since the opening of the museum in 1997, Bilbao belongs to an exclusive group of

cities .Bilbaos strategy has paid off for some considerable time, with a constant flow

of more than a million annual visitors during the past decade, Indeed, today we often

use the term 'Bilbao effect' when describing the targeted enhancement of a

landscape through new and spectacular buildings.

The VIP city

The best example of a VIP city is Hollywood. For a hundred years now, this district of

Los Angeles has constantly brought forth new films and new star celebrities,

establishing itself as the embodiment of American cinema. As a result, an unavoidable

side effect of branding Hollywood solely and strongly as the home of the American

movie is that people today only associate the town with films and their stars.

A different kind of VIP city are Toyota (Japan) and Wolfsburg (Germany). Both cities

have become synonymous with carmakers Toyota and Volkswagen. Given the mono-

industrial orientation of their economies - that is, the automotive industry - Toyota and

Wolfsburg are both strongly and almost exclusively branded by their characteristic car

makes.


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Leipzig, the artist's new playground

Meanwhile in Europe, the eastern German city of Leipzig, another well-known former

industrial community, has found its own way of saving its old buildings from decay

while simultaneously improving the cityscape and atmosphere of its blighted areas.

The selected synthesis of old and new structures is commonly agreed to be an

exemplary solution to the problems that had beset this ancient German city. With

creativities being given the opportunity of establishing themselves in moderately-

priced premises, the city also benefits from a new cultural centre of attraction while

saving on restoration and demolition costs.

Brand Buil

ding of Tourism CitiesBrand building of tourism cities is an effective way to enhance the competitiveness of

tourism cities. Brand building not only needs some measures corresponding to

specific issues, but also the participation of all the people, so that tourism city brand

can play a better role. The application brand consciousness into tourism cities can

make cities unique. The development of tourism cities call for brand awareness, which

not only conform to the trend of the market economy, but also adapt to their own

change and development needs of tourism cities. It can be said that tourism city brandhas attracted peoples attention, once tourism city brand is built successfully and

disseminated widely, there will be a good brand effect and it will bring a huge

economic and social benefits for the city. A tourism city should combine its own

characteristics of tourism resources, urban resources, tourism and urban culture

features to create its own unique brand of tourism city. The marketing of tourism city

brand is very important, and it can be related to the consumers awareness of tourism

products, and ultimately affect the brand-building effect, therefore, a perfectmarketing system of tourism city brand should be established.

CONCLUSION

To keep our cities from dying, we must create a place where people will want to live,

not just work a place of interest. Cities need to keep their focus on what their


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perceived brand is in regards to the outside world. If they are not satisfied with their

image, then they need to make inward changes that will alter not only their image, but

who they really are. The greatest branding campaign in the world still needs a good

product (in this case a good city) to back it up, or eventually the brand becomes false.

This is true of anything that attempts to be something it is not. The brand MUST

deliver. Any changes that are made within the city must have the support of the

majority of the residents. Despite this digital age of technology and globalization,

people and word-of-mouth are still the best vehicle that can be used to promote any

kind of brand, including a city. Cities also must work on turning negatives into

positives.

If we want our cities to succeed, we also need to work on keeping the jobs inour cities safe and not just outsource overseas. This can be done through a concerted

effort between business, community leaders, and municipal government focusing

on inward investment, growth, and development. While outsourcing may save money

short term, the long-term economic effects can result in cities becoming proverbial

ghost towns and eventually this translates into monetary losses for the entire nation.


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REFERENCES

P.R.China, ZHANG Chunmei, ZOU Dewen Study on Brand Building of Tourism Cities. An

Msc Thesis School of Business Management, Hebei Normal University of Science &

Technology.

Julia Winfield-Pfefferkorn (2005) The BrandingOf Cities: Exploring City Branding and

the Importance of Brand Image, MASTERS THESIS in Advertising Design at the

Graduate School of Syracuse University.

Offiong B.Ekop, Ekan E.Etim et al (2007 ): Physical Dev

elopment of Urban Nigeria:Emerging Trends and Challenges, Uyo ,Development Universal Consortia.

Sren Smidt-Jensen :City Branding- a tool for change?Urban & Landscape Studies,

Forest & Landscape Denmark.

Online Book Sources

Http://www.lagos1city.com

Http://www.citymayors.com

Http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng

Http://www.eko1city.com

Documents

Strategy 4 Improving Cities