The joint committees on Culture and Tourism in the Senate and House of Representatives have requested for an additional sum of N2 billion for the Tourism sector in the 2018 budget:
A document in the possession of our reporter and signed by both Senator Fatimat Raji-Rasaki, Chairperson of the Committee in the Senate and Hon. Ogbeide-Ihama Omoregie, her counterpart in the Green Chamber, explains that the request for additional sum of N2 billion was due to “inadequate budgetary provisions for the development of the sector.”
The letter dated 18th April, 2018 with Ref. No: NASS/8HR/CT.24/VOL.2/008 and addressed to the Chairman House Committee in Appropriation, Mustapha Dawaki reads:
“Nigeria is blessed with different tourist attractions all around the six geopolitical zones which if adequately developed can attract more visitors thereby generating foreign exchange, employment and foreign direct investments.
“However, with inadequate budgetary provisions for the development of this sector of the economy, our vision to make tourism a major income earned to the government remains a mirage.
“In view of the aforementioned facts therefore, the Committee of Culture and Tourism of the Senate and House of Representatives jointly seek for more money in the 2018 budget for the following agencies to develop their various abandoned projects and potential tourist sites all over the country.”
The lawmakers gave the names of the proposed beneficiaries as:
“Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation; National Commission for Museums and Monuments; National Council for Arts and Culture; Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization; National Troupe of Nigeria; National Theater; National Gallery of Arts; National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Development Studies and National Institute for Culture Orientation.”
The request comes against the background of apprehension on the late passage of the 2018 budget which the National Assembly had promised to pass since 2 weeks previously.
It is however expected that unless any dramatic changes occur, the 2018 budget will be laid tomorrow, Tuesday, 19th May, 2018 during plenary session or at worst, Wednesday 20th May, 2018.
As at the time of filing this story, there was uncertainty on if or not the House would sit and the Rules and Business Committee in the House was yet to get any signal on if to include the laying of the budget in the Order Paper for today or not, though it was learnt that such a directive could come early this morning.