Co-creators of ‘Nigeria at 60 logo’ refute plagiarism reports
Thenigerianagencies-chain Reactions Nigeria, TBWA Africa and The Temple Management Company that jointly created the Nigeria @ 60 logo have refuted rumors making the rounds that the logo, which has been appreciated and loved by both highly placed government officials and industry practitioners was plagiarised.
The rebuttal came on the back of the rumors ring through the social media that the logo was lifted from a Russian Diamond company.
According to a joint statement, the co-creators said, “The attention of Chain Reactions Nigeria, The Temple Management and
TBWA Africa has been drawn to an unfortunate conversation in some sections of the online media regarding the recently unveiled logo for the Nigerian Diamond Jubilee Celebration (Nigeria at 60) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Few hours after the unveiling of the Nigeria at 60th 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 further said, “This isn’t surprising as major brands and government initiatives have undergone barrage of condemnations and commendations in times past. Are we surprised? No,” Israel Opayemi, chief executive officer of Chain Reactions Nigeria stated
Opayemi reiterated that 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 nervecracking and ridiculous sum of money.” Opayemi emphasised.
On the plagiarism, the statement read, “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.”
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.