Nigeria’s Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, says the Federal Government is set to create and promote Nigeria’s tourism products in the diaspora and at home as part of efforts to achieve the 2030 UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The Minister was speaking during the Abuja 2023 World Tourism Day with the theme; “Tourism and Green Investment,“ where she noted Nigeria’s tourism products remain “vast, plentiful and core to revenue generation for the country.”
According to the World Bank, tourism was the world’s largest service sector before the COVID-19 pandemic—providing one in ten jobs worldwide, almost seven percent of all international trade and 25 percent of the world’s service exports.
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 conceding the existence of several obstacles hurting the business of tourism, the Minister said the government was working to tackle these challenges with advice, support and collaboration by all stakeholders.
For the 2023 World Tourism Day, the United Nation’s World Tourism Secretary – General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, noted that tourism remains a backbone of economies, adding that it offers solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges including the climate emergency and the urgent need to shift to more sustainable economies.
He called for the creation of an enabling environment for investors of all kinds to support tourism projects with potential to make a difference.
