As part of efforts to attain the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, says the Federal Government is planning to develop and market Nigeria’s tourism products both domestically and internationally.
The Minister stated that Nigeria’s tourist products continue to be “vast, plentiful, and core to revenue generation for the country” when addressing at Abuja 2023 World tourist Day, which had the subject “Tourism and Green Investment.”
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism, which accounted for one in ten jobs globally, over 7% of all international trade, and 25% of all service exports, was the world’s largest service sector, according to the World Bank.
With thousands of tourist centres, Nigeria has a lot of potential to explore in tourism. The Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi State, described as one the most popular game reserves in West Africa, speaks volumes of such potential.
Lola Ade-John identified community empowerment, collaboration and partnerships, sustainable tourism development, renewable energy investments and digital transformation as key points for unlocking growth and development of the county’s tourism.
While acknowledging the existence of various impediments to the tourism industry, the Minister stated that the government was trying to address these issues through advice, assistance, and collaboration from all stakeholders.
For the 2023 World Tourism Day, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, stated that tourism remains a backbone of economies and that it offers solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, such as the climate emergency and the urgent need to transition to more sustainable economies.
He advocated for the creation of an enabling environment for all types of investors to support tourist ventures that have the potential to make a difference.
