Nigeria’s international reputation can disadvantage entrepreneurs through a “liability of origin.” Interviews with 12 nation-branding practitioners and policymakers show that trust cannot be repaired quickly through slogans. Credible nation branding requires managing tensions between promises and delivery, and between demands for rapid reputational improvement and the slow pace of institutional reform.

This research evaluates India's Make in India industrial strategy, tracing its evolution from post-independence economic policy to modern manufacturing and technology initiatives. It finds that infrastructure investment, targeted incentives, and international partnerships have delivered mixed successes, while regulatory complexity and implementation challenges continue to limit broader economic transformation.