Dr. Franklin Adejuwon has facts and figures on tourism in the country having served at the Nigeria Tourism Board that gave birth to NTDC, as commissioner for Tourism and Home Affairs in Lagos State and later a Minister for Agriculture. He was also chairman of the Tourism Masterplan Committee set up by the Obasanjo government . 

Based on these credentials, Vanguard sought his views on  proposed Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Act, Cap N137 LFN, 2004 (Repeal Re-enactment) Bill, 2017 (SB.429), which came up for public hearing on the floor of the Senate recently. Here are excerpt from the brief interview with Jimoh Babatunde.

Dr. Franklin Adejuwon

ON his view on the proposed bill

I have gone through the draft bill, most of the contents I am familiar with, but we now have to fine tune to meet with the present circumstances. First, the bill should treat the Corporation as a regulatory and supervisory entity or organ of the federal government and not another autocratic organisation which will start conflicting with Minister’s powers or encroaching on the rights of the people.

Tourism is entirely based on human relations and influence. The bill must therefore attend to this tendencies in its contents. The corporation should have sufficient power to intervene or influence positively the growth of the industry generally as well as enhancing the image of the country. To this end, it must be able to work in tandem with immigration on all immigration policy, border activities; custom on the importation of tourism project related materials; taxations and irrelevant levies from all three tiers of government which may be disincentives to the growth of the industry.

On what he wants the bill to address

The Bill should empower the corporation to from time to time be able to send in memo to the executive council through its supervisory ministry on all the issues that may require attention of government. Training and manpower development is an essential part of the corporation’s activities and this should be incorporated back in the bill as an effective directorate as it were.

In its field activities, the corporation will be able to research into manpower need in the industry and, therefore, through its technical connection with other international organisations, it is able to influence training programmes and influence/empower some selective universities to commence training in the required fields. Funds may be directed to such universities for such programmes. This approach may be more beneficial to the nation than the establishment of the moribund NIHOTOUR.

On the leadership of the corporation

Position of the DG should be well qualified as non political. Whoever is aspiring to take the position should be well qualified in tourism, planning, information and marketing or administration. He must hold relevant degree and with not less than 12 years experience in government or private sector’s job. It is just important we get the leaderships right otherwise all we aspire to achieve shall come to futility.

On the proposed committees in the bill

Planning and information committee should be included under committee formation, such committees may have ad hoc membership from potential planning sector of government or private sector as a reinforcement.

On the proposed Tourism Development Fund (TDF)

TDF may be the most critical and tricky. The Bill should place the fund under the Central Bank purview. The TDF accounts must be set up in the Central Bank and not with just any bank. This is not only in keeping with the present government policy but necessary to curb the excesses and undesirable use of the fund.

The disbursement of the TDF should critically involve the central bank and the federal ministry of finance. Purposes for which the TDF can be used should be well defined in the bill to minimise unscrupulous expedition or use of the fund.

On hotel classification in the bill

Inspectorate/hotel classification should be watered down to allow state governments to operate and control within constitutional level. The bill should limit the corporation to giving guidelines only and follow up with state governments to operate within the guide lines. We should remember when a situation is within the concurrent list, state governments have direct powers to do and undo. There can not be any imposition of powers by federal government in this aspect.

Inspectors can only operate through state organisations responsible for tourism. Let us avoid building empire for NTDC at the expense of poor people who wish to earn a living and provide jobs for other people by investing in the industry. These are my candid views which I hope if found suitable, can make effective changes in the bill. Remember tourism is built on human relations and good will towards one and others.

NTDC can only be made effective by being giving a tool that will encourage investment in the sector and not by making life difficult for investors. As a result, the sector that deals with fine and imprisonment should be expunged from the bill- that is too draconian.