By Raji Rasak
Lagos – The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, on Thursday said a well developed tourism sector had abundant and robust potential to drive and sustain economic growth.
Muhammed said this at the 2018 Tourism and Hospitality Forum organised by the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Lagos.
The forum was with the theme “Domestic Tourism as a Catalyst to the Growth of Nigerian Economy”.
“We know that across the world, especially in Africa, countries like Egypt and Kenya thrive in tourism and Nigeria has potential advantage due to our size of population.
“When you have a good population, this is the key factor that can drive tourism.
“We are a nation of 36 states and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Can you imagine if people are moving emass throughout the country to witness a festival or to visit a tourist site.
“Apart from generating revenue, it will afford different people from different backgrounds to interact and learn different cultures,” he said.
Muhammed, who was represented by Mr Abiodun Abe, the Director, Business Development and Event Management, National Theatre, Lagos, said countries were looking for an alternative to oil.
He said that President Buhari, in his inaugural speech, had promised to use tourism as an alternative to oil due to its dwindling in term of reserve.
Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce, the Founder of Silver Bird Group, in his Keynote Address, said unless the government fixed the infrastructure problems in the country, tourist investors were wasting their money and time.
According to him, the infrastructure problems include lack of public toilet, security, good hotels and securing a Visa to Nigeria
Murray-Bruce narrated how some tourists were arrested by Police for taking pictures on Lagos road.
“Government has to educate Nigerians that tourists taking pictures in their country is not a crime.
“Destination is not the problem, we have tourist site like Ogudu Cattle Ranch, Yankari Game Village, but how do you get to the place without security, public toilet and good hotels.
“It is hard to get visa into the country, you have to pay many agencies and the Muritala Muhammed Airport is in bad shape,” he said.
The Senator urged the government to fix the infrastructure challenges, adding that it would cost the country more for not fixing it.
“It will cost the government nothing much to fix these challenges for examples tell your immigration officers to fix visas on time.
“Educate Customs officers to be nice to tourists, allow tourists to take picture of interesting places, taxi drivers should be nice and hotel operators too, then build public toilets on roads leading to tourist sites,” he said.
In his welcome address, Mr Biodun Jaji, the Chairman, IoD Tourism and Hospitality Committee, said Nigeria needed
sustained Public-Private Partnership efforts and investments for the development of domestic tourism over the next 10 to 20 years.
Jaji said that government and tourism stakeholders should pursue the sustainability of the growth of the industry in the country.
“Tourism’s economic activities effectively improve the livelihoods of the people through income generation, employment creation, improved infrastructure and increased government revenue.
“The theme of this year forum is therefore very apt.
“It is our hope that the erudite papers, discussions, networking and communiqué from the forum will make some contribution to the further growth of the domestic tourism in Nigeria,” he said.
(NAN)