Africa Initiative for Governance: a brand to help change Africa for good

Brand Creation And website

13 October 2016
Africa Initiative for Governance: a brand to help change Africa for good

The AIG brand and website have been created by Nucleus.

Africa Initiative for Governance Scholarships

From 2017, the Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) will fund five places each year at the Blavatnik School, which is the UK’s first school of government and which has a mission to inspire and support better government and public policy around the world.

The AIG Scholarships will have an initial focus on candidates from Nigeria and Ghana, allowing the students to study for a Master of Public Policy alongside classmates from across the globe. The scholarship will be available to those who can demonstrate academic excellence, proven leadership and commitment to public service.

A brand to inspire public sector transformation

Nucleus was appointed in late 2015 to help articulate the AIG brand narrative and design a distinctive new identity and website for this pioneering initiative, which brings together proven private sector innovation, leadership and funding in a private-public partnership to attract, inspire and support future leaders of Africa’s public sector. 

Nucleus consultants worked closely with AIG’s Founder and Chairman to define and agree a clear and compelling brand promise and narrative, which resulted in the proposition “Inspiring public sector transformation”.

The brand narrative is then brought to life with a visual brand identity that comprises: an AIG symbol, with the acronym placed within a circular kinetic device to suggest continuous renewal; classically clean sans serif typography; a subdued, sophisticated colour palette rooted in the land; while duotone photography featuring close-up portraits of students, adds a strong human dimension. The overall effect fuses the brand with its mission to help outstanding individuals excel and apply their skills to transforming Africa’s public sector governance.

Please see our case history for more information about the AIG brand project.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of the Africa Initiative for Governance, said: “The AIG Scholarship and Fellowship initiatives are scalable interventions aimed at tackling Africa's intractable challenge of poor public sector leadership. I am confident that with our partnership with Oxford University's prestigious Blavatnik School will become fertile ground for growing future statesmen and women who will change my continent for good.”
 
The announcement was made following a public event at the Blavatnik School of Government which saw the former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan speak on the theme of ‘What should the UN be doing in the 21st Century?
 
Expressing support for initiatives that foster leadership and education, Kofi Annan said: "Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development. Scholarships open the gates to more young minds to contribute to this process."
 
Dr Jeya Wilson, Director of the Africa Initiative for Governance, said: “Africa’s poor record of public sector governance is a factor that currently prevents the continent from achieving its true potential. Nucleus has helped us with world-class standards of branding and communication to embody in the brand our belief that private sector innovation, leadership and funding in a private-public partnership can attract, inspire and support future leaders of the public sector.”
 
Nucleus is proud to have contributed to the creation of a brand which is aimed at creating a fertile ground for growing future statesmen and women who will help change Africa for good.

About the AIG Scholarships 

From 2017, five fully-funded scholarships (covering tuition fee and living expenses) will be awarded to students who meet the Master of Public Policy selection criteria (academic excellence, strong commitment to public service, demonstrable leadership).

www.aigafrica.org

About the Blavatnik School of Government

Learning from world-class academics and expert practitioners, studying at the Blavatnik School of Government for a Master, a DPhil or Executive Education course helps scholars develop the academic knowledge and professional skills required to address some of this century’s most complex public policy challenges. It offers the Master of Public Policy (MPP), an intensive one-year graduate degree with lectures and seminars as, well as practical workshops and professional skills sessions taught by external experts. The School also provides scholars with a doctorate course in public policy (DPhil in Public Policy) and bespoke executive courses. Research in the School is also thriving, with partnerships with major foundations, and most recently with the UK Cabinet Office.

www.bsg.ox.ac.uk

Notes to Editors - for more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Giulia Biasibetti, Communications – Blavatnik School of Government
Giulia.biasibetti@bsg.ox.ac.uk +44 (0)186561673