Turning Nigeria’s Tourism Potentials To Tourism Economy Will Be My Legacy – Minister

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has
pledged to leave a legacy of turning Nigeria’s rich tourism potentials

to a tourism economy.The Minister made the pledge in Abuja on Tuesday when he received the
International Tourism Adviser of the United Nations World Tourism
Organisation, Mr. Jim Flannery, who is in Nigeria to assist in the
review of the country’s Tourism Master Plan.

“Like I said, I want to leave a legacy as the Minister that came and
transformed the Creative Industry to a Creative Economy. I want to
come and leave as the Minister of Tourism that made Nigeria transit
from just a country of tourism potentials to a country of tourism
economy, and this is why we are here today and I believe that we have
all it takes to make it work.

”I am tired of Nigerians saying we have tourism potentials. I want us
to start realizing those tourism potentials. I am tired of saying that
tourism can create thousands of jobs in Nigeria; I want us to start
creating those jobs,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the present administration has the political will
to drive the process, particularly by removing all the bottlenecks
hindering the active participation of the private sector in the
tourism industry and relaxing the rigid visa regime that discourages
tourists from coming into the country.

“Our role really as government is more of regulatory and providing
guidelines and protection, but the real jobs are within three groups
of people: The states, the local community and the private sector,” he
said.

The Minister expressed the delight that the visit of the UNWTO
International Tourism Adviser has kick-started the process of
actualizing the six-point agreement reached between Nigeria and the
world tourism body during his visit to its headquarters in Madrid,
Spain, in July.

“Today is the first concrete evidence that truly all that I said we
were able to achieve at our July meeting with UNWTO is true and that’s
why I am particularly glad that Mr. Flannery is here today and his
presence here is the first step in actualizing one of the six promises
and commitments that were made to us by the UNWTO,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed acknowledged the contribution of Mr. Flannery to the
drafting of the Tourism Master Plan ten years ago and said he is in
Nigeria to assist the Technical Committee set up by the Minister to
review the document and identify those areas that can be implemented
within the shortest time possible.

The Minister is optimistic that tourism remains the low hanging fruit
that will rejuvenate Nigeria’s economy and empower the country’s poor.

“Tourism is so unique. It’s the only industry in the world that is pro
the poor people. It’s the only industry in the world that is pro the
rural area and it’s the only industry in the world where you do not
need highly specialized skills or knowledge because nature in its
mercy and bountifulness has created tourism sites where it wants not
where we want.

“The Zuma Rock, the Owu Waterfall were put there by God. The Cross
River Wild Park was not man-made. So it is one industry that if we
harness properly, we can bring development right to the rural areas,
create jobs and harmony,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed stressed the importance of having more World Heritage
Sites in the country in order to attract tourists, saying the only two
sites currently in the country are not enough.

In his remarks, the UNWTO International Tourism Adviser, Mr. Flannery,
said there is currently a renewed interest in tourism even among the
big economies like the United States of America, because it’s assuming
prominence in the global economy due to it’s vitality and
inexhaustible nature.

“Tourism worldwide is becoming recognized more and more as one of the
great economic activities that is of major benefit to countries. Why
is it of benefit? Because tourism unlike manufacturing industry can go
into the regions and in fact it does go into communities and you don’t
need major structured investment for tourism to be successful,” he
said.

Mr. Flannery observed that the Tourism Master Plan could not be
implemented ten years ago because of the sheer volume of activities
that previous governments wanted to undertake at once, but lauded the
new approach where salient areas can be identified for immediate
implementation.