By Olusiji Oyesile
The advice by Nigeria’s Minister for Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola cannot come at a more auspicious time than now when the whole world is closing its doors against visitors.
Speaking at a CBN Consultative Round Table event held recently, Fashola advocated for a constructive engagement during this tough time to diversify our economy.
Making reference to the hand sanitizer used at the occasion, whose major components are berry and alcohol (gin), and unfortunately imported from China (where the Coronavirus was first discovered in 2019), he wondered why our own local gin (Ogogoro) is termed illicit while other imported ones like rum and other brands of alcohol in the same class are not classified as illicit but instead deemed excellent for human consumption.
Fashola challenged Nigerians to take advantage of this crisis by producing a hand sanitizer made up of the local Ogogoro and berry which grow so well in the Plateau so that at the end of this crisis, Nigeria would have learnt one or two lessons.
Prior to the outbreak of Coronavirus disease otherwise known as COVID-19 in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019, one of the world’s major business concerns that thrive on movements from one place to the other, one region to the other, one country to the other and one continent to the other is the tourism business.
Now with towns, cities, states, nations and countries closing doors to foreign nationals, the concern now is how to make the industry that accounts for over $12 trillion in the global economy thrive again.
Writing in The Punch of Thursday March 26, the Director General of Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Folorunsho Coker wondered if the current uncertainty is capable of drawing the curtains on a sector that has engaged our exertions, and which the National Bureau of Statistics values as a contributor of some 35 per cent to our GDP, yielding huge tax receipts and accounting for the jobs of over 20 per cent of newly employed Nigerians, formally and informally?
All over the world, vacationers and tourists are known to always pick their diaries at the beginning of the year to do their vacation plan for Easter, Summer and other periods when they intend to take their work-leave.
The implications of the current COVID-19 that has continued to ravage the world is that travel plans will be altered as people are now confined to their place of birth making summer travel to be up in the air for the entire globe.
As health officials and pharmaceutical industries round the globe continue to battle with tests of vaccines to combat this devastating scourge, experts have posited that a minimum of 18 months is required to fully validate the potency of any breakthrough.
As reported by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease “You are talking about a year to a year and half before any vaccine could be ready for widespread use”.
While the situation of cross border movements in the next three months remains unpredictable, international travellers and affluent vacationers in Nigeria need not fidget as there exist so many fun destination places ready to take care of their desire to visit and tour interesting fun places thereby staying safe and even saving their hard-earned foreign currency which is even becoming costly with the continued plunging of oil prices.
Local destination places provide an opportunity to spend less as they are pocket-friendly compared to what is obtainable in these locked down nations and they offer stunning and adventure sceneries.
Among the over 7000 fun places available to Nigerians who desire to explore the country include Yankari National Park which is a large wildlife park located in the south-central part of Bauchi State, in northeastern Nigeria. It is home to several natural warm water springs, as well as a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Its location in the heartland of the West African Savanna makes it a unique way for tourists and holidaymakers to watch wildlife in its natural habitat.
Agodi Gardens is also a tourist attraction in the city of Ibadan Oyo State. It sits on a serene environment on 150 acres of land and is usually patronised by families during festive periods and weekends. While the children’s facilities in the garden include swimming pool with inflated balloons, grown-ups may use any of the diverse tropical trees for picnics and other social gatherings.
Tinapa Resort is a business and leisure resort located north of Calabar municipality, Cross River State and is associated with the Calabar Free Trade Zone. It was developed in four phases under a Private Public Partnership promoted by the Government of Cross River State.
Lekki Conservation Centre is a 78-hectare Natural Resource Conservation in Lekki, Lagos State.
Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is a sacred forest along the banks of the Osun River just outside the city of Osogbo, Osun State. The grove is among the last of the sacred forests which usually adjoin the edges of most Yoruba cities before extensive urbanisation.
To underscore the importance and global significance and its cultural value, the sacred grove was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Omu Resort is set in a rain forest environment; it allows guests to experience the wonders of nature. Nestled in a peaceful neighbourhood, occupying a land area of approximately 22 hectares and boarded to the north by the imposing clear waters of Omu Creek.
Part of the attractions at the resort include antique museum and boat cruise, waterfront sitting, the new amusement ride called CRUNCH TIME and an overhaul of the SeaWorld.
The Apapa Amusement Park is an event congregation in Lagos, traversing a territory of around 7.7 sections of land and is a recreation spot for solid family amusement.
A visit to Hi-Impact Amusement Planet Park and Resort located opposite the Mountain Top University on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway would reveal another world class fun place for Nigerians of all shades.
Since its inception in 2016, this world-class amusement park has continued to provide thrilling outdoor rides and exiting indoor games for children, teenagers and the whole family to have a fun-filled experience compared to anywhere in the world.
Apart from many outdoor rides and indoor activities available at Hi-Impact Amusement Planet Park, this world class fun place also boasts of over 150 well-furnished self-service luxurious apartments, outdoor pools, multi-purpose halls, restaurants and executive lounge.
The park also boasts of a well-equipped clinic with qualified health and safety personnel, uninterrupted power supply, 24-hours security all in a safe and serene environment, adequate parking space with free WI-FI as well as availability of shuttle buses for visitors within Lagos and Ogun State.
While the whole world waits and prays for a quick solution to this menacing scourge, Nigerian travellers and vacationers should try to explore what nature and God have given us in our backyard by staying home to enjoy the best of holiday in Nigeria and contribute to one of the major cardinal points of the present administration which is the diversification of the economy from the oil sector.
As the DG of NTDC opined, “without an iota of doubt, I believe that for tourism in Nigeria, it is still a dawn that holds bountiful promises of the day that is unfolding” and the current pandemic disease cannot obliterate it.
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