NIGERIA: Delta State Woo Local And Foreign Tourists

Delta State Government says it will hold a fiesta to showcase its tourism potentials with a view to attract both local and foreign investors, reports.

The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Chinye Emmanuel, disclosed this when he visited the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in Abuja on Thursday.

The Commissioner said the three-day fiesta, which is scheduled to hold between July and August, was expected to attract both local and foreign tourists in the state to tap from its vast potentials.

According to him, the platform will also provide an avenue for the people to also showcase their rich culture, food, music and fashion during the event.

In view of the dwindling oil resources and economic downturn, the need to look inward and think outside the box to find other sources of revenue must be explored.

I believe strongly that tourism is that alternative, if properly harnessed, has the capacity to rejuvenate the economy of this nation, he said.

He gave assurance that the security of the lives and property of people, irrespective of the nationality were safe in the state.

Today, you can walk freely in Delta state, whether you are a black or white man unlike in the past, where you hear about kidnapping.

No more crime as such in Delta state, so with that foreigners will be free to come in and move round Delta state freely, he said.

He said the visit was to garner the support from NTDC and NIHOTOUR to host tourism fairs, expos, training, cultural programmes, develop its historical sites and monuments, as well as its eco-system in other to promote domestic tourism.

Responding, the Director-General, NTDC, Mr Folunrunso Coker assured the state government of the corporation’s support in harnessing the tourism potentials in the state.

Tourism is a business to look at in Delta state and I assure you of our support in making the event successful and promoting tourism potentials in the state and nation at large, he added.

Similarly, the Director General, NIHOTOUR, Mrs Chika Balogun, assured the Delta government that the institute would continue to support it, especially in the training of its tourism and hospitality officers.

We assure you of our support in training and retraining of your officers in tourism and hospitality industry to meet up with global standard to create a vibrant tourism sector, she added.

Balogun, therefore, encouraged the state government to expedite action in developing some of its tourist sites to increase tourism in the state and reduce movement to other countries for holidays and tourism.


Tourism Observer

NIGERIA: France Ready To Boost Nigeria Tourism

Mr Denys Gauer, French Ambassador to Nigeria
Mr Denys Gauer, French Ambassador to Nigeria, has expressed that country’s willingness to partner with Nigeria in its tourism sector to further boost its development.

Gauer made this know during his courtesy visit to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) office in Abuja on Thursday.

“France has important expertise in the field of tourism. We have companies in tourism which could invest in Nigeria, so I will be happy to attract them to invest in Nigeria.

“We could also develop training activities for young Nigerians in that regard,’’ Gauer said.

The envoy said tourism was an important activity adding that it represented about seven to eight per cent of the gross domestic product of France.

He stressed that it was not just important for the revenue it generates but also to the image of the country.

“It makes your country known all over the world for its attractiveness and consequently attracts other kinds of activities for investors in other sectors to come in.

Gauer maintained that in spite of the many possibilities to develop the sector in Nigeria, there was need to concentrate on the development of domestic tourism.

He however said that concrete efforts should be put in place to address some challenges in the area of airports, security, visa and good roads to access the various tourist sites.

“You need good hotels not only in Abuja and Lagos but in other touristic places. You need to organise activities and encourage private sector involvement.

“The fact that the NTDC has to organise all that and create conditions for smooth operation; the private sector also has to drive it, this is because there are so much demand.

“Already, the cultural activities and landscape are there, so the question now is how to organise it and make it attractive,’’ Gauer said.

“ I have seen many possibilities for developing tourism in Nigeria; the `Durbar’ in Kano which is a very fantastic cultural event but there is no tourism organised around it; there are no packages.

“I visited the sacred groove in Osogbo. I was told that the Osun-Osogbo festival is for the whole week which was characterised by ceremonies and cultural event.

“Apart from the Yorubas who reside in America, U.S. other places who are aware of the Osogbo festival, it is not well known even though it has the capacity to attract more people.

Earlier, Mr Folorunsho Coker, Director-General of NTDC said tourism in Nigeria has the potential to create jobs that were income generating, taxable and value creation.

Coker underscored the instrumentality of brand to the growth of tourism across the world; adding that brands were vehicles that facilitated the consumption of tourism products by people regardless of tribe, religion and race.

“Tour Nigeria is NTDC’s brand and within that branding concept, we also are looking at five point agenda to sort out some of our internal problem within the NTDC and the industry.

“We look at our corporate governance and the regulation that currently govern tourism in Nigeria.

“These laws were made in 1992; tourism has change between 1992 and today.

“We have been to the National Assembly to look at what can be done to repeal the laws establishing NTDC and to enact new ones that is compliant to the best global practice.

“We are also looking at human capital development; if you don’t train new digital medium that are used to drive tourism, you may not see the revenue that exist in the industry,’’ Coker said.

He said until challenges ranging from high interest rate, infrastructural decay and others in the sectors were properly addressed, “ we will always have a start and stop industry’’.

Coker noted that tourism is a `global business’ that involves different modes of transportation, hospitality and entertainment; adding that NTDC is currently marketing Nigeria to Nigerians.

“When we treat tourism as businesses, we will see and get the reward from it like a business’’ he said.



Tourism Observer

NIGERIA: Cultural Tourism, Ekiti Herbalists Woo Private Investors

Ekiti State chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP) has called on private investors to key into Governor Ayo Fayose’s agenda to propel cultural tourism in the State through huge investments in the sector for rapid expansion of the state’s economy, for more revenue earnings.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti last weekend, the Chairman of the Association, Chief Jacob Orisamika, described tourism, particularly cultural festivals, as a critical sector that can change the economy of the State, if well harnessed.

Orisamika expressed happiness over the promise made by the governor to liaise with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) on the need to upgrade some major festivals in the State to national status, particularly the Udiroko annual festival in Ado Ekiti.

He said the nonchalant attitude to cultural issues and tourism in general, had led to the gradual extinct of cultural festivals in the state, describing the situation as very disturbing and unfortunate.

NIGERIA: Tourism Is The Greatest Employer

Director-General Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Mbanefo, has described tourism as the greatest employer. She said the corporation under her would ensure practical development and promotion of domestic tourism, which will propel job creation, develop the nation’s economy and raise social awareness on cultural preservation and environmental protection.

Mbanefo spoke at this year’s World Tourism Day, with the theme, 1 Billion Tourists, 1 Billion Opportunities, held in Enugu State which underscored the role of tourism sector as a valuable and sustainable source of livelihood for millions of people.

“Nigeria has a better advantage over so many other countries to benefit from tourism. We have the advantage of population. Tourism contributes 10% to the global GDP but as at now, Nigerian is not fully benefiting from tourism like other countries. For instance, 4,333,000 tourism visited Nigeria in 2013, which contributed about 4 per cent to our GDP, while tourism contributes 17.7 per cent to the GDP of Gambia; 13 per cent to Egypt; 12 per cent to Kenya; 11.9 per cent to Mexico; 9 per cent to South Africa, and 6 per cent to Cuba.

“We need to know that Nigeria should focus more on tourism as the best alternative to oil, with domestic tourism as the catalyst. I need to emphasise that Nigeria has the best of the ingredient of tourism. We have fascinating tourist sites, enviable cultural festivals, good weather, good and hospitable people. Have you ever wondered why most diplomats, after serving their terms chose to stay back in Nigeria? It is because of the warmth and friendliness of our people, environment and potentials,” she said.

Mbanefo, who emphasised that the potential of tourism in Nigeria is N4billion prayed that government should take privatisation to the next level, which according to her will facilitate further facilitate an enabling environment for tourism to thrive in Nigeria.

The NTDC boss lauded the Enugu State government for making tourism alive in the state, describing the state as a hub of eco-tourism.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Mrs Nkechi Ejele, described tourism as the way forward for Nigeria. She noted that the Ministry is, on a daily basis, intensifying efforts at ensuring the money spinning sector is well developed and promoted in Nigeria, to ensure Nigerians, among the people of other countries, maximally benefit from the potentials of tourism.

The Group Managing Director, Viko Nigeria Group of Companies Limited, Mr Lucky Kanu, expressed the readiness of his company to further support NTDC in promoting domestic tourism, thereby creating more jobs and wealth in Nigeria.

“Our partnership with NTDC could be best described as demonstration of a successful practice of public private partnership in Nigeria, as the partnership has yielded opening of information desks in about six states in Nigeria, while we are working on a new project that will create over 500,000 jobs for the youth in every state of Nigeria,” Kanu said.

NIGERIA: Enugu Airport Gets Tourism Information Desk

In furtherance of its campaign for the promotion of domestic tourism, the management of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) in partnership with Viko Group of Companies Limited has opened yet another tourism information desk at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Enugu State to boost passengers easy access to information on flights time, hotels and tourists sites in the country.

Director-General Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Uwechue Mbanfeo said that the NTDC’s information desk is part of the corporation’s efforts towards promoting domestic tourism. She recalled that the corporation’s collaboration with Viko Group of Companies Limited had earlier commissioned four information desks at airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Calabar and now Enugu. She also noted that Enugu State is one of the tourism friendly states and a major tourism hub in Nigeria.

“Enugu State is a place to visit and a destination of choice for tourists of various inclinations. Enugu and Nsukka towns present tourism infrastructure for cultural, eco-tourism, sporting, business and conferences. The following facilities are prominent; The Nike Lake Resort, Enugu Polo Amusement Park, Enugu Zoological Garden, Nsukka Zoological Garden, Hotel Presidential, Ezeagu Tourist Complex, Dugudu Lakes and Ajali Owa Sandy Stream among others,” she said.

She noted that “Nigeria has been solely dependent on the oil sector for many years. Nigerians are not encouraged to visit the various attractions from North to South, East to West to experience what God Almighty has endowed Nigerians with and we want Nigerians to take their life styles seriously, knowing that one’s health depends on leisure which is part of tourism. This is one of the things that promotes longevity of life. “Tourism is sustainable and a necessity in economy building and not a luxury,” she added.

Mrs. Mbanefo however called for greater support from both private and government to promote domestic tourism activities in Nigeria in order to move away from total dependence on oil and create jobs for the teeming youth, alleviate poverty and reduce urban migration.

CEO of Viko Group of Companies Mr. Lucky Kanu, said: “This information desk features a travel information portal for tourists with information on the aviation industry, ‘real time’ flight information can be personalized with alarm sent to customers phones as reminders of their scheduled flight time.”

He noted that the portal is opened to provide information about attractions in Nigeria that are not known to tourists. “We are promoting domestic tourism in the country in order to increase revenue generation for the country, opening for job opportunities for our teeming unemployed youth”, he said.

Kanu expressed his willingness and determination to collaborate with the NTDC to create job opportunities and will work on the existing partnership with NTDC to open more information desks in all major airports in Nigeria. He stated that “passengers can browse for free and view tourists sites, tourists activities, products, hotels, car hire services, events and festivals. Also they can make enquiries and book excursion trips to schools and holiday sightseeing within the country at no cost at all”.

Kanu said the significance of the desk is much in terms of benefits as it would provide information on passengers’ flight with ease. “This will further create more awareness and increased traffic for the airport,” he said.

The manager of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Mr. Mgbemene Ijiako commended the synergy between NTDC and Viko Limited which has resulted to the establishment of the NTDC Information Desk in Enugu International Airport, Enugu State.

He said, “on behalf of the federal republic of Nigeria, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, I commission this Tourism Information Desk to the glory of God.”

His Royal Highness Dr. Eze Chukwu Debelu II of Ibagwa Aka Nsukka, who was in attendance, described the information desk as a significant link for tourism promotion. “What Israel gets from tourism is more than what Nigeria gets from oil. But I pray as we open our eyes to grow the sector, we will harness the endowment for our good,” he noted.

It will be recalled that tourism information desks have been opened at other airports such as Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, Murtala Mohammed Airport 2, Ikeja, General Aviation Terminal, Ikeja, Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano and Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar.