The Nation Newspaper

Category: Tourism

  • We will encourage festivals like Argungu — Buhari

    We will encourage festivals like Argungu — Buhari

    OKORIE UGURU

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said his government will encourage festivals and other tourism activities as tourism helps boost the economy.

    The President spoke while declaring the 2020 Argungu  International Fishing and Cultural Festival open last Thursday. He said festivals such as the Argungu fishing festival help the nation celebrate her diversities and collectively bring people together.

    In addition, he said the massive job creation in the tourism industry makes it important for the sector to be encouraged and promoted. According to him, the festival was last celebrated 11 years ago due to security challenges. He said the federal government’s tackling of security challenges has created a conducive environment for the festival to be once again celebrated.

    In his welcome address, the Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, thanked the president for his giant strides in different areas of the nation’s life. He said the federal government has created a conducive environment for the festival to be celebrated 11 years since the last edition.

    Before President Buhari’s address, there a flamboyant Durbar display by the Argungu Emirate led by the Emir of Argungu  Alhaji Sama’ila Mera. It was a display of colour, horsemanship and different display of the culture and heritage of the people of Argungu.

    Also speaking on the festival, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the revival of the Argungu Motor Rally, the traditional start of the annual Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival, is a testimony to the success of the Buhari administration’s efforts at restoring peace and security in the country.

    Read Also: ‘Nigeria compiling list of festivals to boost tourism’

     

    Alhaji Mohammed, who was speaking at the flag-off of the Argungu Motor Rally,  also said the fact that only vehicles assembled in Nigeria are participating in the rally shows the administration’s commitment to building local capacity and diversifying the economy through manufacturing.

    He said another attribute of the Argungu Motor Rally is that it will promote tourism in the country.

    Alhaji Mohammed congratulated the government and people of Kebbi State for the revival of the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival which has not been held for the past 10 years due to security considerations.

    ”Specifically, the Motor Rally will cover 13 towns and cities – from Abuja to Keffi to Kachia to Kaduna to Funtua to Gusau to Sokoto to Shagari to Dogondaji to Tambuwal to Jega to Birnin Kebbi and finally to Argungu.

    He said: “”You can now see that the Argungu Fishing and Cultral Festival is not just a local or state festival, but a national festival, a festival of unity. This is why the Federal Government will continue to provide all the necessary support for the festival, and indeed for all the festivals on our national calendar.”

    Among the activities lined up were Kabanci displays, bare hand fishing, traditional wrestling, archery, agricultural show, international cultural night and other. The grand finale, which is the fishing festival, is expected to hold today.

  • Organisers set to unveil Ikeji Festival 2020 logo

    Organisers set to unveil Ikeji Festival 2020 logo

    Okorie Uguru

     

    All is set for the unveiling of the logo of the 2020 edition of the Ikeji  Festival. The unveiling will take place at the APU Hall, Lagos, tomorrow. The Ikeji Festival, regarded as the Africa’s biggest gathering of masquerades, is held annually by the people of Arondizuogu in Imo State to showcase their rich history and culture.

    Speaking on the logo unveiling ceremony, the consultant to the festival committee, Mr. Chijioke Akamnonu, said the logo unveiling is part of the efforts of the Ikeji Heritage Festival Committee to reposition the festival, create more visibility and attract the tourists and corporate clienteles who may wish to identify the festival.

    He described the festival as the biggest in the South East that involves three council areas and hundreds of thousands of individuals.

    He said: “The Ikeji Festival is a foremost annual festival in Igboland that captures the history and culture of the people of Arondizougu in Imo State.   It is regarded as the biggest pan-Igbo cultural festival that attracts thousands of local and inbound tourists.

    “Beyond just being an annual traditional spectacle, the Ikeji Festival is the biggest gathering of traditional masquerades in Africa.

    “In Igbo culture, the masquerade embodies the spirit and human worlds. The mystique surrounding the masquerade is one of the key components of the Igbo culture that survived western influences. It is generally believed in the Igboland that the masquerade is a spirit which springs from the soil.

    “Arondizougu people are descendants of slave merchants from Arochukwu.  The celebration of the Ikeji Festival would also give local and foreign tourists the opportunity to visit some of the historical sites.”

  • Nigeria emerging tourism hub in Africa

    Nigeria emerging tourism hub in Africa

    Okorie Uguru

     

    Nigeria is gradually emerging as a tourism hub in Africa. This is made possible by the enormous potential that abounds in the country, which has been recognized by international and indigenous hospitality brands that are increasingly registering their presence in the country. Their stay in the country and the successes they have recorded attest to the investment opportunities in the hospitality sub-sector of the nation’s tourism industry.

    In 2017, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) named Nigeria among five African countries where the hospitality sub-sector would experience growth, with significant increase in room revenue. Other countries on the list are South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Mauritius. The company said Nigeria would become the fastest growing hotel market in Africa over a five-year period ending 2022.

    “Several new hotels are scheduled to open during this period”, PwC said. “Continued improvement in the domestic economy will also allow the number of overnight stays to increase”.

    This rosy picture of Nigeria’s hospitality industry is also painted by Trevor Ward, managing director of W. Hospitality Group, an international firm that offers advisory services on hotel and tourism in 39 African countries, who says the expansion of hotel rooms in Nigeria is a sign of an economy that is growing, with a favourable investment climate.

    “With more than 9,603 rooms across 57 hotels planned by the world’s leading hotel brands , Marriott, Radisson, Accord Hotels, among others ,the country has many developers, investors and operators queuing up to strike deals across the country”, Ward said.

    The period during which PwC predicted Nigeria would lead the hospitality market in Africa will end in two years’ time. But it does appear the country would remain in the forefront in the years beyond 2022. This is because of the increasing involvement of international and indigenous African hotels in the country’s hospitality sub-sector as exemplified by the continued expansion of their operations in the country.

    The big international brands currently operating in the country, apart from those mentioned by Ward, include Hilton and Sheraton. African brands that have registered their presence are Tsogo Sun, the South African hospitality chain that operates 90 Sun International and Southern Sun hotels as well as casinos in different parts of Africa and Legacy Hotels, another South African hospitality outfit.

    From Kenya has come Icon Hotel Group Africa (IHGA), reputed not only for its competence and capacity to deliver international standard hospitality services within its country of origin and in East Africa, but also provision of consultancy and management services to hotels for individuals and governments in different parts of Africa. The hotel group announced its readiness to make its impact felt in Nigeria’s hospitality sub-sector with the successful turnaround of Best Western Hotel on Victoria Island, Lagos. The exercise led to rebranding of the hotel as BWC Hotel. Another Kenyan hotel group that is currently operating in Nigeria is Serena.

    Nigerian hotel groups may not have the pedigree and brand recall of international and other African brands that have been in the industry for longer periods, but they have been able establish a relationship with local guests that has enabled them to compete with the big names. This is primarily on account of their ability to deliver services that resonate with Nigerian cultures, though with a blend of international service offerings. These services are more pronounced in the areas of food and music.

    “The reason Nigerian hotels do not have the pedigree of international hotels, or even their African counterparts, is because before now, most of the big hotels were owned by government, and like other government owned enterprises, they were not well managed”, says George Ogbebor, a Lagos-based hospitality consultant.

    “It is difficult to name a Nigerian hotel that has been in existence in the last 50 years and is still what it was when it was set up, let alone grown bigger in terms of expansion, as we have seen other African hotels do. I am not even talking about international names like Hilton, Sheraton and Marriot”.

    He listed hotels that made names decades ago, but which are today rarely remembered in the industry, as Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos; Hamdala Hotel, Kaduna, as well as Presidential Hotel and Nike Lake Hotel, both in Enugu. Some are no longer in existence.

    Ogbebor sees what he describes as the invasion of Nigeria’s hospitality industry by foreign brands as a positive sign and wakeup call to Nigerian investors and governments at the federal and state levels to begin to get more involved in the tourism industry of which hospitality is a sub-sector.  He said government involvement should not go beyond creation of an enabling environment through investor-friendly policies and provision of infrastructure that would allow investors set up hospitality outfits in the country.

  • Perfecto La Villa adds to hospitality offerings

    Perfecto La Villa adds to hospitality offerings

    Okorie Uguru

     

    Perfecto La Villa Hotel and Suites in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, a new hotel, has formally opened for business.

    The Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke and  Chairman of the Amuwo Odofin council area, Mr. Valentine Buraimoh, were among dignitaries on hand to declare the hotel opened.

    He described the hotel as  one of the best  in the locality and he was very proud to be associated with it.

    The hotel was built by Chief Timothy Ekene Okpara, a businessman with a thriving business in the oil and gas sector and real estate, among other interests.

    The hotel is part of Okpara’s brand which, he said, thrives on perfection, hence the word  ‘Perfecto’ in the name of the hotel.

    One of the amazing things about the hotel is the perfect finishing which makes it quite an attractive home for everyone as the facilities are a reflection of the state – of – the art facilities, the best in modern hospitality dispensation.

    The reason behind this is the business philosophy of Okpara whose business outfits are named ‘Perfecto’, and over the years, it has become a brand for all his business outfits, the hotel inclusive.

    He said he believes in perfection and so takes his time to ensure that whatever he does has a touch of perfection and distinction reflected on it.

    Chief Okpara said: “It is my pleasure that I can achieve this. It is because I am always a determined person and whatever I set my mind on, I go all out for it and ensure that I achieve it and in record time too.

    “Even my mall, Perfect Mall, which is adjacent to the hotel is governed by the same thought and philosophy. My product registration name is ‘Perfecto’ which means that everything I do must be perfect or excellent, no matter how small it is.

    ”My nature is that anywhere I go I must learn or take something new away from the place or environment. The first time I travelled to Europe was in 2007 and I was in Catalan, Spain. The hotel I stayed in was very beautiful and I admired it quite a lot. Then, I told myself that I would like to build a hotel like this of my own in Nigeria.

    ”Since then, the dream stayed with me until I had the opportunity to actualise it today. This hotel and the Catalonian hotel are almost the same and I am quite happy and fulfilled about this feat.”

  • Coronavirus forces the Louvre to close its doors

    Coronavirus forces the Louvre to close its doors

    By Naomi Rea

    • Venice becomes a ghost town as Coronavirus hits tourism
    • Tourism has dipped as European and Chinese travellers hunker down out of concerns for public health.

    Staff at the Louvre forced the museum to close on Sunday due to growing fears over the spread of the coronavirus. The move comes after the French government became the latest to ban large gatherings. Museums and historic sites around Europe face a sharp fall in attendance because of the disruption caused by the fast-spreading virus.

    Swathes of visitors were left standing in line in the rain outside the Louvre on Sunday, March 1, as staff voted to close the Paris museum during an emergency meeting. A union representative tells AFP that staff voted “almost unanimously” not to open the museum. The museum remains closed on  Monday and it is unclear when it plans to reopen. Artnet News contacted the Louvre for comment, but did not hear back by press time.

    On Saturday, the French government banned gatherings of more than 5,000 people in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. The country has confirmed 130 cases, and two deaths, as of time of writing. “The Louvre is a confined space which welcomes more than 5,000 people a day,” the union representative said. “There is real concern on the part of staff.”

    Around 86,000 people have been infected around the world, with cases in more than 60 countries, and more than 3,000 deaths, the majority in China. Last week, more than $5 trillion was wiped from the global stock market over concerns about the economic impact of the infection.

    Fears about the impact on the art market are growing.

    Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases in Europe continues to rise sharply. The French finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, warns the virus could impact French growth “much more significantly” than previously thought, according to Le Parisien. Museums and cultural sites look set to see a drop in international tourism, especially if the virus continues to spread into the high summer season.

    The European Commissioner for Internal Market and Service, Thierry Breton, told the French-language outlet BFMTV that EU member states recorded two million fewer overnight stays in January and February, which amounts to a loss of around €1 billion ($1.1 billion) each month. The fall is being attributed to a drop in tourism from China, where the virus first broke out in December.

    At the end of January the Chinese government blocked people from buying tour packages and discouraged citizens from travelling abroad. France is a top destination for Chinese tourists, around 2.2 million of whom travel there each year. The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, and 75 percent of its 9.6 million visitors last year were from abroad. The majority of oversees’ visitors come from the US but  China is now in second place, according to the museum.

    As governments around Europe are advising citizens to avoid non-essential travel to affected countries, the economic impact from the lost tourism could be even more severe. In Italy, which was the first European country to report a significant spread of the disease, there are 1,694 cases of the virus, and 41 people have died, as of time of writing.

    Last Monday, authorities shut down all museums in northern Italy. In the city of Venice, which is still recovering from severe flooding in November, the annual carnival was ended early and the majority of tourists have emptied out of the city. “We were waiting for the carnival to get the economy going again after the acqua alta, but now we have a new problem,” a shop worker tells The Guardian. While the flooding saw income drop by 40 percent at the end of last year, new figures suggest the virus could cause a 30 to 40 percent dip in the first quarter of 2020.

    In Germany, the number of cases has risen to 129, and Switzerland, which has 27 cases, has also banned large gatherings. On Friday, the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair was postponed until 2021. It is organised by the MCH Group, which was forced to cancel its 2020 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong.

    The UK has reported 36 cases so far and is preparing for a further spread. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss further measures, which could also see restrictions on large gatherings.

    As the number of coronavirus cases in the UK rises, the British Museum in London says on its website: “We continue to closely review the advice from Public Health England who assesses the UK risk as moderate,” and so it has made not changes in its operations. Today it updated that advice, adding: “The safety of our staff and visitors is of the utmost importance and we keep situations like this under active review and update advice issued accordingly.”

    • Culled from The Artnetnews
  • Nigerian roadshow kicks off in Tunisia

    Nigerian roadshow kicks off in Tunisia

    By Okorie Uguru

    A group of businesses have held a roadshow in Tunis, the Tunisian capital, to introduce the Nigerian market to Tunisian companies and highlight the business and partnership opportunities with Nigeria.

    The roadshow, dedicated to Nigeria, was kicked off last Monday in Tunis and continued in Monastir (February 25) and Sfax (February 26). According to the chief executive officer of the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX) CEO, Youssef Neji, the organisers, the roadshow, which is composed of 15 representatives of Nigerian companies, is now in Tunisia to identify business opportunities in some  sectors of activity, namely tourism, agro-food, construction, ICT, building materials and health.

    Neji pointed out that the volume of Tunisian-Nigerian trade remains low and below the potential that exists between the two countries, specifying that trade between Tunisia and Nigeria was worth only 29 million dinars (MD) in 2019.

    Tunisia’s exports to Nigeria are mainly composed of gypsum (with a 75 per cent share of the total exported), resins, triphosphate and flour. These products contributed to the growth of Tunisian exports to the Nigerian market by nearly 42 per cent to reach 25.8 MD.

    Read Also: What do Nigerians want?

    Neji said that the exportable offer, on both sides, is much broader and can include manufactured products such as electrical industries, food processing, construction materials, pharmaceuticals as well as services, such as TIC, medical tourism, higher education and vocational training.

    “Tunisia is increasingly oriented towards Africa and is intensifying its efforts to step up and develop its trade with this continent and strengthen its African integration,” he indicated.

    He added that this finds expression in the Tunisian government’s strong determination to conclude the agreement on the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAF), join the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and obtain the observer status at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in which Nigeria plays a leading role.

  • Minister tasks NTDC on tourism promotion

    Minister tasks NTDC on tourism promotion

    By Okorie Uguru

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has tasked the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) to adopt creative ways of actualizing its mandate of developing and promoting tourism in Nigeria, with a view to attracting tourists to the country.

    The minister gave the charge when he paid a working visit to the NTDC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday to kick-start his tour of agencies under his ministry.

    “The truth of the matter is that NTDC is not just the apex organization for tourism, it’s actually at the centre of all these tourism activities and when you look at your act, it actually mandates you to develop, promote and market tourism in Nigeria.

    ”In other words, you are the chief marketer of Nigeria in terms of bringing in people from outside to see what we have been blessed with and also encouraging people locally to see what they have been blessed with,” he said.

    Read Also: Lagos, NTDC to strengthen tourism

    Alhaji Mohammed, who was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Deaconess Grace Isu Gekpe, said it is important for the NTDC to understand its pivotal role in coordinating all the activities in the tourism sector, and to realize its huge potential in view of its capacity to create employment and contribute immensely to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    He stressed the need for the NTDC to appreciate that tourism is beyond mere sightseeing as it encompasses the entire creative industry, which includes film, music, gastronomy, fashion, photography and monuments.

    “There are many reasons why people should come to Nigeria. We are a country of colours. We are a country of about 250 ethnic groups and each with its own history, its own culture and we are blessed with miles and miles of beaches. We have an almost all-year round good weather.

    “We have been blessed with a film industry which is number two in the entire world. We have been blessed with a music industry that has become global,” the Minister said.

    Alhaji Mohammed, who noted that the film industry is the least untapped with only 51 cinema houses and less than 200 screens for a population of about 200 million people, urged the NTDC to strive to attract investments that will raise the number of cinema houses to 1000 and at least 6000 screens in order to turn the film industry into a money spinner.”

  • How visa issues stopped pilgrims’ flights to Nigeria — Namibian Deputy PM

    How visa issues stopped pilgrims’ flights to Nigeria — Namibian Deputy PM

    By Okorie Uguru

    The Namibian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has pinpointed  non-issuance of visas to religious pilgrims coming to Nigeria as the major reason why Air Namibia stopped scheduled flights to Nigeria.

    She said the 2019 disagreement between Namibia and Nigeria led to the refusal of the Nigerian embassy in Namibia to refuse issuing visas to Namibian religious tourists on pilgrimage to Pastor T. B. Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).

    The Namibian Deputy Prime Minister said this when she hosted a group of Nigerian tour operators and journalists in her office in Windhoek, the Namibian capital.

    Answering a question on the current suspension of Air Namibia scheduled flights to Lagos-Accra, she said: “ You know this is the second time it is closing. The problem is economic. The airline industry is not really doing well. We had an unfortunate situation last year.

    “When the Namibians could not get visas to Nigeria, and they were mostly groups of people who used to go in groups to T.B.Joshua’s church. It was helpful to Air Namibia. But when the issuing of visas stopped and they could not go, the load for Air Namibia became so low. This, merged with economic recession and difficulties in the airline business, they had to stop flying. You know it was mixed with Ghana, but the big load was not to Ghana, it was Nigeria.  But the air service agreement is still there.”

    Air Namibia had announced the suspension of its flight on Windhoek – Lagos – Accra routes effective from May 24 over alleged diplomatic rows between Nigeria and Namibia. The ban on the non-issuance of Nigerian visas to Namibians by the Nigerian High Commissioner to Namibia led to the decision to suspend the airline’s operation to Nigeria.

    Read Also: VISA REQUIREMENTS: Kenya

    However, the Namibian Deputy Prime Minister reiterated the desire of  her country to welcome Nigerian tourists and  continue to have closer relationship with Nigeria.

    She said: “We have a very long history of relationship between Namibia and Nigeria. During our struggle, many young Namibians studied in Nigeria. The Nigerian government was among the governments that accepted SWAPO and gave us all-round support. In fact, there was a budget for SWAPO.  As you know in the Namibian struggle, at one time, we had frontline states that were very active. These were the countries in southern Africa.

    “They were called frontline because they were closer to Namibia. But Nigeria living far became part of the struggle. So, when you go to records, you hear us talking about the frontline states and Nigeria.  This was because wherever the frontline states met to discuss the issue of Namibia, Nigeria was always there. It explained why, after independence, Nigeria was among the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Namibia and even opened an embassy in our country.

    “I know what tourism can bring to a country. We have decided to promote tourism, and specifically, we are looking at Africa. Unfortunately, for too long, as Africans, we never see ourselves as tourists. That means we never linked to one another. That is working against us. It is so gratifying that now we’ve realized that we must do something very seriously. We have seen that once there is an issue in Europe, out tourism suffers as an African country because we do not travel among ourselves.

    “Of course, of late, we have noticed that there has been an increase of tourists coming from neighbouring countries: Angola, Botswana and South Africa.  We are now on our way to open up new doors.

    “For Nigeria, which is a big economy, a big population, we really feel that together, we will be able to achieve our objectives. I am informed that in 2019, we had 744 Nigerian tourists. But that was a drop because the record of 2018 was 1500. We want these numbers to increase. Also, Namibians should be able to travel to Nigeria.

    “We feel that such a link will not only end up in tourism, it could also involve other economic activities-talking about trade and investment between our two countries. Our heads of states have just adopted last year African Continental Free Trade Area. That is meant for African citizens to make use of. It is only when we do that “that we can realize Agenda 2063, which is Africa will become an industrialized continent”.

  • Ben-Ber inaugurates cultural hub

    Okorie Uguru

     

    A non- governmental organization in Osogbo, Osun State capital, under the auspices of Ben-Ber Foundation has inaugurated a cultural hub and some children’s books for the promotion of Yoruba culture and language, in memory of the late Deacon Benjamin Adeyemi Kolade and his wife, the late  Chief (Mrs) Bernice Alake Kolade, the late Iyalode of Osogboland.

    The cultural hub and the books were inaugurated by the Deputy Governor of the State, Mr Benedict Alabi at the residence of the Kolades in Osogbo, Osun State.

    The deputy governor who was represented by the state Commissioner for Human Resources, Alhaja Lateefat Giwa described late baba and mama Kolade in glowing terms and commended the children of the deceased for the unique way of remembering their parents.

    The dignitaries at the event included the State chairman of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Mr Gboyega Famodu; the State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Obawale Adebisi;  former Deputy Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Muritala Akintunde Adegboye; Commissioner for Rural Development and Community Affairs, Hon. Segun Olanibi; officials of the Osun Agency for Community and Social Development Project (CSDP); the ace broadcaster, Mr Adetoyese Shittu Alamu;   former Commissioner for Lands, Architect Muyiwa Ige; the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Mrs. Folakemi Adebayo; members of the State House of Assembly and some Local Government chairmen in the State.

    Also, the director of the state library as well as the director of the National Library in the state were in attendance amongst many other important dignatories that graced the occasion.

    The First child of the family, Mrs Abokede Aderonke Funmi in her remarks said the foundation would provide training on economical viable vocations that will promote Yoruba culture in terms of weaving of aso oke, making of adire, designing of clothes as well as making headgear and caps.

    Abokede said that there must be efforts to ensure that Yoruba language does not go into extinction. “To this effect, the foundation has embarked on publication of children’s books that will promote Yoruba language and cultural heritage”.

    Abokede said Ben-Ber Foundation will complement the efforts of the State Government of Osun in building inclusive society and giving voice to the voiceless.

    She urged the government to dedicate a day to wearing of adire attire so as to inculcate culture in the citizens and also promote Osun State’s type of Adire.

    The children of Special Schools (Primary and Secondary) in Osogbo electrified the gathering with various performances as they displayed their talents.

    Abokede presented valuable gifts to some children with exceptional performances including Awe Oluwatobiloba Michael and Amilola Onifade.

  • Namibia welcomes Nigerian tourists, says ambassador

    Okorie Uguru

     

    THE Namibian ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Ambassador Humphrey Geiseb, has said his country is ready to welcome Nigerian tourists and partner Nigerian businessmen.

    The ambassador said this during an exploratory Familiarisation Trip (FAM Trip) to Namibia organized for tour operators and journalists by the Namibian embassy in Nigeria, the Namibian Tourism Board and an Abuja-based tour company, CMD Tours.

    Speaking on the tour, the ambassador said: “We have taken you to Etosha National Park; we have taken you to Twyfelfontein; now we are given you a wonderful tour on this boat so that you can see marine life. As somebody told you, there are more seals in Namibia than people. We are around 2.4 million people, and we have 28 million seals. So, it is a big population of seals that we have here. We hope that these things would be part of the attractions to Nigerian tourists.

    “In terms of our economy, you will see our colleague here (the boat) is part of the Namibian government’s efforts to promote indigenous economy. Previously, it was difficult for Namibians to participate in the economy. Previously, indigenous Namibians found it difficult to own boats such as this, but today because of the government’s provision of facilities, you can see them owning boats and they can give their services. So, things are slowly changing.

    “You can also see we are number one in the world in terms of oysters, we are number in the world in terms of wildlife’s like Pelicans. We are number one in the world in terms of seals’ population. So, there are many things that Namibia is doing well. We are not boasting. It is there for people to see for the rest of humanity. Humanity includes Africans, Nigerians inclusive. So, we are more than happy to show them what we have.

    “We are hopeful that when you go back, if somebody is looking for an African destination, you can easily tell them: come to Namibia or let me book you on a tour to Namibia with all the selling points. Yes, we want to see Nigerians coming.”

    Ambassador Geiseb said the embassy currently issues about 740 visas annually to Nigerians travelling to Namibia and he was looking forward to issuing more visas to genuine tourists and investors: “We want to issue more visas this year and years to come for Nigerian tourists. We want to say Nigeria is our biggest market in Africa. I think it is possible with the efforts of everyone. We can increase the number of arrivals from Nigeria. This is because Nigeria is the giant of Africa, so the giant should be able to give us more tourists.

    “My idea is that we should go in and grow our market in Nigeria. The time to grow the market is now. That is why we are having this FAM trip. I think we will not stop with this. We will be having the mega tour in May.

    “There is a company in Walvis Bay. It is a company that exports salt to Nigeria, only that it goes first to Cape Town before being trans-loaded to a bigger boat and taken to Nigeria. On our side, we have talked to the head of the Nigerian Ports Authority so that we can have a relationship to move goods from the port of Walvis Bay to Lagos so that we can generate more traffic and do things together. We have signed the MoU last year and we are still going to work to make it a reality.

    “There should be communication and there should be relationship between African ports, otherwise we will only be working with rest of the world only. Among ourselves we should work together.

    ‘The volume of the trade between Namibia and Nigeria is roughly around eight to 10 million dollars and most of the salt we export to Nigeria is used in the oil sector. A small quantity goes to the table of domestic consumers, but most of it goes to the oil sector.

    “We have two companies from Nigeria here in the charcoal industry. One is based in Walvis Bay. It has been given more land to expand operation. Another is based in a different city. The one in Outjo is employing about 30 workers, while the one is Walvis Bay is employing about 50 workers. These are Nigerian investments in Namibia. They produce charcoals and send them directly to Europe. So, we also would want to welcome more Nigerian business people here.”

    Speaking on behalf of the contingent and the tour company that packaged the tour, Elizabeth Agboola, said: “We thank God we are all here. We appreciate the country for the reception. We will work to promote the destination.”