NIGERIA @60 LOGO NOT PLAGIARISED, SAY AGENCIES

BY MICHAEL AKINOLA

Chain Reactions Nigeria, The Temple Management and TBWA Africa have cleared the air on the originality of the recently unveiled logo for the Nigerian Diamond Jubilee Celebration (Nigeria at 60) by President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR).

In a statement Thursday, the three agencies said the logo is not plagiarized while they described as unfortunate the conversation in some sections of the online media regarding the unveiled logo.

“Few hours after the unveiling of the Nigeria at 60 anniversary Logo, myriads of reviews poured in from different stakeholders across the country as expected. As envisaged, the views expressed are symbolic of our diversity as a nation. In fact, it captures what we are celebrating. The theme of the Diamond Jubilee Anniversary, TOGETHER, is all about how we have stayed together as a people despite our diversity,” the statement read in part.

According to the agencies, “The primary allegation of plagiarism on the unveiled logo deserves a quick dissection. To Plagiarise, according to Oxford Language Dictionary, is to take someone else’s work or ideas and pass them off as one’s own,” the agencies said.

“Interestingly, the emptiness of this narrative lies in the fact that peddlers perhaps do not understand the meaning or they feigned ignorance so as to drive their usual hatred for the Nigerian government.

“To meet the qualified meaning of this definition, it means the Nigerian professionals who designed the campaign picked another logo that is exactly like this or similar to this and delivered it to the Federal government.

“Have they shown Nigerians the logo that looks exactly like the Nigeria @ 60 logo from another jurisdiction? No. Instead of saying that the diamond looks similar to the one they have found on the internet, they have disingenuously alleged that Nigeria plagiarised her 60th Anniversary logo. What a convenient narrative but a disservice to our fatherland.

“A quick check on the internet shows that there are thousands of diamonds with crystals that look alike. The images on the Internet are there in any way for creative usage and purposes. Some are backed by rights and paid for while others are free. Let us even assume without conceding that the Nigerian creative professionals who created this design were desperately looking for a logo, where would they have gone? The internet or the mines?

Also, a diamond, being a precious stone, cannot be expected to be found anywhere. If a religious institution had used the Diamond as a logo element, will it still pass off as plagiarism?

The agencies noted that it isn’t surprising as major brands and government initiatives have undergone barrage of condemnations and commendations in times past.

“Are we surprised? No. It is commendable that the Nigerian government has done the right thing by engaging the services of Nigerian professionals to develop the thematic direction, campaign strategy and the logo for the Diamond Jubilee celebration pro bono. In the past, you would have heard that the Nigerian government engaged the services of some foreign agencies for some nerve-cracking and ridiculous sum of money.”

Speaking on the allegation of outrageous costing, the agencies stated: “Without an announced budget or costing being declared from the Presidency, some social media commentators have hastily concluded that the logo was designed with an outrageous amount.

“Should we put the perpetrators on a national medium to justify this claim with verifiable evidences, we will be offered with silence and mischief. The Nigeria at 60 logo was designed pro-bono out of sheer zeal and patriotism for Nigeria by a consortium of Nigerian marketing communications and talent management companies.

“This controversy is a great disservice to these Nigerian professionals who have invested their time into giving Nigeria a beautiful identity in commemoration of her 60th anniversary.

“For now, we appeal to millions of good-spirited Nigerians, this celebration is ours. It is a celebration of the Nigerian people. Not even the present feeble wind will dampen our passion for our beloved country.”