By Jimoh Babatunde

The crash in the price of oil, the mainstay of our economy, has triggered a disaster for Nigeria’s economy, but wanting to turn the disaster to a blessing, this administration is looking beyond oil for widening the country’s revenue base.

National Summit: From left, Minister of Information and Culture Alh. Lai Mohammed (middle) chatting with Chairman Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism , Senator Matthew Urhoghide (left) and Chairman House Committee on Culture and Tourism , Hon. Omoeregie Ogbeide during 2016 National Summit on Culture and Tourism held in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan

One of such areas the present administration is turning its attention is the culture and tourism sector of the economy. So, stakeholders in the sector were expectant when they converged in Abuja recently for the National Summit on Culture to deliberate on how to grow the sector in the country through initiating advisory and consultative processes.

The convener of the summit, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, speaking on the importance of the summit said that the summit was designed to explore all the various opportunities in tourism sector to improve the economy. He explained that change mantra of Federal Government can only be sustained if culture and tourism provide needed drives. “We want to turn adversity into sustainable fortune by tapping our National cultural heritage and tourism.”

Cultural heritage

Lai Mohammed said the challenge before the country was to work out long term strategies to develop the country’s Culture and Tourism Sectors and move them into the mainstream of the economy, “while not failing to design ways and means of plucking some low-hanging ‘fruits’ along the way.

Declaring the 3-day summit with the theme: “Repositioning Culture and tourism in a diversified economy” open , President Muhammadu Buhari promised his administration will provide the required enabling environment for arts, culture and tourism to thrive and develop through the massive upgrading of infrastructure and the provision of security.

The President represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah, promised to encourage public and private sector participation and partnership in all the desired areas including Transportation as well as Beach and Resort development in a deliberate effort to develop tourism as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification of the economy.

“Tourism therefore, is a resource of development and means of providing an additional opportunity for a non-industrialised country like ours, to diversify its economic base for the betterment of all,” he said.

The summit, attended by Ministers, Members of the National Assembly, Former Ministers of Culture and Tourism, State Commissioners of Culture and Tourism, Federal and State Permanent Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers of Culture and Tourism Parastatals, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Culture and Tourism Stakeholders, Media Professionals, the General Public, and Officials of the Ministry, had four major papers presentation.

Former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke’s presentation on ‘Tourism in a Diversified Economy’ was refreshing as he took the audience on the practical steps taken to position the state as a preferred tourism destination it is today. While harping on the need for change of attitude, Duke said tourism development is a long term project as it is attitudinal and cultural.
Donald Duke noted that one of the problems of coming into Nigeria is securing entering visa, while calling for synergy among all ministries, he said there is need to revive the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) that will be headed by President Muhammed Buhari.

“The Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT), chaired by Mr. President with all the State Governors as members, should be resuscitated. This is to ginger accelerated development of culture and tourism in the country.”

Dr. Franklin Adejuwon in his remarks wants the government strict adherence to the National Tourism Master Plan which he described as the road map.

“As long as government drifts away from the contents of the National Tourism Master Plan, there cannot be any hope in the repositioning Culture and Tourism in the diversification of the nation’s economy.

“Besides, it will be difficult if not impossible in future to achieve any meaningful support from international organization, which assisted Nigeria to achieve the road map.”

Speaking on behalf of private sector in tourism, the President, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Chief Tomi Akingbogun, said the ministry and her agencies should develop statistics and tourism satellite account.

He said that government should provide adequate funding for the sector through Tourism Development Fund and Tourism Bank to manage the funds for industry players.

“Different categories of funds were designated in many formats but no bank to manage them; the Central Bank made funds available for tourism but banks deliberately left out tourism funds.

“The ministry should resuscitate the Presidential Committee on Tourism (PCT); this is highest decision making body on tourism which is chaired by the President.

“States and local governments should also be included in the PCT as well as FTAN to represent the private sector.

“Other state governments should copy the success of Cross River State and the social media should be used to market our tourism,” Akingbogun said.