By Jimoh Babatunde

The newly-elected executive of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, FTAN, have been assured of greater cooperation to move the association to higher heights.

The Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, gave the assurance in Abuja, when the executives of the Federation paid him a courtesy call in his office.

The Director-General said the visit which was timely, showed that NCAC is a dependable ally in the movement to change the narratives in the arts and culture sector.

Otunba Runsewe maintained that the tourism and culture sector are like Siamese twins, but people are yet to really understand this relationship which he likened to production and marketing outfits where “Culture produces the content while tourism markets and sustains the system.”

Olusegun Runsewe however decried the high level of insecurity in the country and advised the government to partner with FTAN in the area of monitoring and screening of various hotels, which often serve as hiding grounds for criminal elements in our society.

He, therefore, reiterated the need for a higher level of participation by stakeholders and practitioners in the sector which according to him is the highest employer of labour.

Runsewe assured the executives of FTAN that NCAC will allocate office space for the Federation when the NCAC Cultural village becomes fully operational.

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Earlier in his address, the President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, Mr. Nkerewem Onung, said the newly-elected Executive of the Federation were in the Council to thank Runsewe for the fatherly and advisory role before and after the election which produced the newly elected officials at the year 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) to manage the affairs of the federation.

The President congratulated Otunba Runsewe on his reappointment as the Director-General of NCAC by President Buhari.

He said the Dg is a statesman, a patriotic Nigerian and an icon in the culture and tourism sector whose role has changed the narratives in the sector since his assumption office.

The president said FTAN was initiated in 1997 as the umbrella body to represent all tourism associations in Nigeria and stand as a mouthpiece for the private investors in the tourism sector in Nigeria.

Mr. Onung stressed that the visit was also to strengthen the already existing relationship between the private investors in the culture and tourism sector and the NCAC and also sought Council’s support and assistance in the area of logistics to enable the Federation carry out its numerous responsibilities.

Also speaking, the first vice president of the Federation, Badaki Aliu thanked the Director-General for the high level of hospitality accorded them and expressed optimism that the newly elected executive will increase its level of partnership with the Council in order to achieve the aims and objectives of the Federation.

Vanguard News Nigeria