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Tag: Amachree

  • Amachree urges minister to engage with private sector

    Amachree urges minister to engage with private sector

    Frontline tourism practitioner and Proprietor Brooklyn Group of Hotels and Resorts, Chief Mike Amachree has called on the Minister of Tourism Mrs. Lola Ade-John to engage with the organised private sector tourism practitioners on how to move the industry forward. 

    Amachree said it was a known fact that tourism is private sector driven, while the government creates the enabling environment for the success of the industry. He said the interface between the public sector led by the minister and the organised private sector industry practitioners would create a healthy ground for exchange of ideas, and the best way to move the industry forward.

    Read Also: Amachree hails creation of Tourism ministry

    Amachree, a tourism mogul and the first president of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), said it is the collaboration between the public and private sector that gave birth to the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), which in turn led the foundation for the growth of tourism in Nigeria.   He said: “Tourism is an industry in which both the public and private sector have their roles to play. It is only when the two sectors collaborate that the industry can move in the same direction.

    “We thank God for the creation a stand-alone Federal Ministry of Tourism and you as the first Minister of Tourism, unlike in the past when we had ministers of tourism and culture. It is a call to duty, and the foundations you will lay during this tenure determine how fast the industry will grow in Nigeria. I believe you are equal to the task.”

  • Amachree commends Wike for hosting NAFEST

    Nigeria’s father of tourism, Chief Mike Amachree, has commended the Rivers State government for recently hosting the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) in the state.

    Chief Mike Amachree made the commendation when he played host to a team from the National Council for Arts and Culture, led by its Director General, Otunba Segun Runsewe , at the  Brooklyn Tourists Centre, Rumuosi Port Harcourt.

    Welcoming his guest, an elated Amachree said the commendation has become necessary in view of several national and international events that the Rivers State government had attracted to the state within the three years of its inception to foster economic growth of the state.

    He challenged Runsewe not to relent efforts and to  persuade the different tiers of government  on the need to  provide an enabling environment for  tourism to thrive in the country.

    According to him, tourism promotion and advancement is entirely private sector driven hence the government should provide the necessary infrastructure and enabling environment for tourism growth in the country enjoining the director general to use his good office to liaise with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to enlist the Owu Waterfalls in Kwara State and Wase Mountain in Plateau State among the wonders of the world which is already exhibited in his Museum of African History and Culture in Port Harcourt.

    Earlier, Otunba Segun Runsewe  intimated Amachree of the significance of his visit which he said was long over-due.

    Otunba Rusewe asserted that Chief Amachree has used his youthful age to set a pace in the tourism industry in Nigeria urging all and sundry to imbibe his shining examples.

    Runsewe assured Amachree of his determination to make the culture cum  tourism sub-sector contribute to the economic advancement of the nation. He  promised that before long, Amachree’s recognition as father of tourism in Nigeria will be extended to the African continent and prayed God to grant him more years to enjoy the fruits of his labour.

  • Use tourism to fight unemployment, Amachree urges govt

    The Proprietor of Brooklyn Hotel Group and former President of the  Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), Chief Mike Amachree, has called on different tiers of government in the country to use tourism to fight unemployment in the country.

    He said tourism was the highest employer of labour globally and by investing and paying greater attention to tourism, the industry could generate jobs and reduce unemployment.

    Amachree was speaking during the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) AGM in Abuja recently  where he was conferred with the honour of Nigeria’s Father of Tourism.

    Speaking on why FTAN decided to confer the  honour of Nigeria’s Father of Tourism on  Amachree,  FTAN President, Alhaji Saleh Rabo, said Amachree had been in the tourism industry for more than 55 years and had contributed immensely to the development of tourism in the country.

    He said Amachree was among the founders of FTAN and had done a lot for the country in the course of promoting and advocating for the development of the industry.

    Among some of the achievements of Amachree included: first National President of Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN) in 1990; a director of the Nigeria Tourist Board (now NTDC) in 1991; representative of Nigeria at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Commission for Africa conference in 1992 in Ghana; organized the first Abuja Carnival in 1990 when General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) was the head of state.

    Also during the FTAN AGM, Alhaji Saleh Rabo called for the injection of funds in the Nigerian tourism industry.

    He  said: “Essentially, we want to engage some national and international funding organizations to secure grants or investment funds, something akin to what the agriculture sector in Nigeria benefits.

    “Accordingly, we plan to engage relevant organisations, including the Bank of Industry (BOI) and Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to support FTAN members”.

    Speaking on the activities of FTAN in the last one year, Rabo said: “So far, we have attained some of the milestones we espoused in our campaigns, and we are still making considerable efforts to consummate even more of our strategic plans. So far, we have secured a befitting national secretariat for FTAN and have since improved the structures and processes of the secretariat functions and administration.

    “We have recently set up of a Department of Tourism Research and Advocacy, as well as trained some FTAN staff on diverse professional subjects.

    “More so, FTAN is on the verge of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The MoU will cover both capacity development of the new FTAN Research Department, as well as, partnership on tourism industry research, including the Nigeria Tourism Satellite Account (TSA); promoted by the Ministry of Information and Culture.

    “Talking about Nigerian tourism development and true to our promise of opening up new destinations, we have started moving the quarterly FTAN governing council meeting across Nigeria’s geo-political zones. So far, we have had two council meetings in Lagos and one in Port Harcourt. In fact, the next council meeting in October this year would be hosted by FTAN South-East Zone, precisely in Owerri.”

    He stressed that FTAN goals are to facilitate tourism investments for operators in our industry. Reiterating the federation plans to designate members as ‘recognizable Tourism Operators Clusters for harmonization of standards and work with investment funds to benchmark  financial service needs, such as designing transparent framework for qualification and access to investment funds/grant, and bankable conditions for collaterals or group guarantees.’

    The high point of the FTAN AGM was the adoption of a new constitution for the association which was adopted by the house and came into effect.

  • Amachree urges Nigerians in Diaspora to attract more tourists to the country

    Amachree urges Nigerians in Diaspora to attract more tourists to the country

    Nigerians in this Diaspora have been urged to attract more tourists to the country to boost foreign exchange earnings to the country.

    Nigeria’s Father of Tourism and President of the Centre for Promotion of Peace, Tourism, Arts and Culture (CEPTAC), Chief (Dr.) Mike Amachree, said this at a one-day parley between tourism stakeholders and Nigerians in the Diaspora at the Brooklyn Tourists Center, Port Harcourt, and River State. He said the parley has become imperative in view of economic situation facing the country.

    Amachree stressed that there is need for deliberate investment in the tourism industry to encourage the provision of jobs to meaningfully engage the teaming youths in the industries that would be established by local and foreign entrepreneurs.

    He  praised Governor Wike for his pragmatic approach in solving tourism challenges in the state by establishing the Port Harcourt Leisure Park and the massive construction of roads in the state and requested the government to do more, especially in rural areas, and encourage the private sector too. He mentioned that gone are the days we should depend on oil only. He equally called on the Federal Government to relax the entry requirements as to allow foreign tourists to enter the country.

    The Chairman of the occasion, Professor Kimse Okoko, a former Commissioner of Lands and Housing, old Rivers State and former President of  the Ijaw National Congress, commended Amachree for his efforts in the tourism business in Nigeria which has earned  him the name “Father of Tourism”.

    Okoko stated that tourism in the country is confronted with many challenges and encouraged governments to see the sub-sector as option “A” in choosing area of diversifying the country’s economy as the total dependence on oil has a detrimental effect on the development of the country.

  • Amachree urges tour operators to bring tourists to Nigeria

    Amachree urges tour operators to bring tourists to Nigeria

    The founder, Centre for Promotion of Peace, Tourism, Arts and Culture (CEPTAC) and Nigeria’s Father of Tourism, Chief Mike Amachree has made a passionate call on Nigerian tourism industry practitioners to pay greater attention to inbound tourism by making efforts to sell Nigerian destinations outside. He said: “What Nigeria needs is for operators to outside the country and source for market  and at the same time open tourism centres, museums and cultural centres where some of the tourism products will be on display for tourists.

    He said the tourism sector has made and continues to make significant contributions to the nation’s economy through income generation, creation of job opportunities, foreign exchange generation, and could even do more if the volume of tourism traffic for inbound tourists is increased.

    Chief Amachree made the call during his tour of tourism sites and facilities in Lagos including museums and cultural centres.  One of the places Amachree visited was Oak Garden and Cultural Centre at Igando, a suburb of Lagos owned Mr. Jemi Aladi, one of Nigeria’s leading tour operators.

    At Oak Garden and Cultural Centre, Amachree was taken round the facility by the proprietor.  The centre has an event hall, a medium meeting room, general and executive lounges. Alade said the centre was part of his continuous contribution to the development of tourism in the country, and that having been in tourism for so many years, it was an extension to his contribution.

    Amachree commended Alade, saying he was among the few authentic tour operators that have worked tirelessly to put Nigeria on the tourism world map. He said: “I used to meet Mr. Alade and Mrs. Victoria Soluade about  30 years back in different cities in United States with their brochures moving from one tour operator to the other to sell Nigeria and bring inbound tourists.  These are the kind of people that the government should reach out to for the way forward for the Nigerian tourism industry. He packages inbound tours and he is in direct contact with counterparts in outside the country. Anybody that has been involved in tourism in Nigeria knows the antecedent of Jemi Alade.”

    Amachree said, as Nigeria’s Father of Tourism, he will visiting other parts of the country for first hand information on condition of sites and also encourage industry practitioners.

  • Amachree commiserates with Kano people

    Former President of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), Chief Mike Amachree, has commiserated with the family and people of Kano State on the death of foremost statesman, the late Alhaji Maitama Sule, who died recently.

    Amachree said Alhaji Sule was a true Nigerian who had so much love for Nigeria and everything Nigerian. He described the late statesman as “the man who spoke English better than an English man.’

    He said:“Alhaji Maitama Sule’s death is a great loss to the country. He was a person I interacted and worked with. He had so much passion for tourism and culture. He always wished to be involved in anything that would lead to the growth of the country.

    “We worked together in the early 90s when I was part of the organizing  committee that launched the Plateau Tourism Development Fund under the chairmanship of General Yakubu Gowon.  Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, was the special guest of honour  on the occasion.

    “Alhaji Maitama Sule was among those that convinced General Babangida to honour the event and was the Master of Ceremony. He carried out the job of raising funds for the development Plateau State tourism with  so much passion. He was a person that loved tourism and culture and lent his presence and wisdom to such events.”

    He is a person the nation would miss so much for his energy and passion for the country. May Allah grant his family, Kano State and the country at large the fortitude to bear the lost, Amachree said.

  • Amachree condemns neglect of tourist sites

    One of the leading voices in the Nigerian travel and tourism industry, Chief Mike Amachree, has called on all tiers of government to pay greater attention to the development of tourism sites and tourism products.

    He said developing these products and adding values to the country’s numerous tourism endowments is the only way for Nigeria to attract tourism traffic to the country.

    Amachree, who is the proprietor of the Brooklyn Tourist Centre and Port Harcourt Tourist Beach Resort, also said that to create tourism traffic and turn Nigeria into a destination,  the government must give necessary assistance to tour operators for them to go out, create necessary awareness, and source tourists to visit the country.

    He said Nigeria must be proactive on the issue of tourism development. His words: “The tour operators are familiar with tourist markets and have partners in different countries. We must encourage and help them to market the country and bring in tourists.”

    He said helping the tour operators to market the country as a destination was of greater value to the country than the huge amount the government spends promoting carnivals.

    Amachree also cautioned government on the continuous sponsorship of carnivals with tax payers’ money.  According to him, the various carnivals would function better “if the government divests from them and allows them  to be solely run and financed by the private sector”.

    He said it was only through this it could make the necessary economic contributions to the economy of the country.

    Amachree went down memory lane to recall how he organized the first Abuja and second Port Harcourt carnivals and that they were  huge successes.   He said during the reign of General Ibrahim Babangida, he led the private sector to organize the first Abuja Carnival in 1990.

    He said: “General Babangida invited the private sector under my leadership to the Aso Rock . Babangida used the opportunity to instruct the Central Bank (CBN) to provide the practitioners with the tourism development fund to develop tourist sites.”

    Amachree said it was erroneous for the different tiers of government in Nigeria to believe that organizing carnivals and building edifices are all necessary things to develop tourism.

    He said:“In the United States of America and Dubai, they have spectacular edifices. Those tourists cannot come to Nigeria, if they want to see beautiful structures and wonderful hotels.

    He reiterated that only the development of our tourism sites that could guarantee tourist visitors.

    “When visitors come to your country, they look for sites that excite which are historical, cultural or man-made.  Our history and culture are the things they are coming to learn and these could be seen only at our tourist centres and museums. The different tiers of government should pay greater attention to developing them. “

    Chief Amachree bemoaned government’s  neglect of the country’s tourism sites. He said: “It is very important that the country pays greater attention to development tourism sites. If you go to most of our sites, they are suffering serious neglect. Under this kind of condition, you don’t expect them to generate money. It is high time we stopped paying lip service to the development of tourism”.

  • Appeal Court denies foul play in case by ex-Rivers council chair, Amachree

    The Court of Appeal has denied an allegation of foul play in its decision to change the panel of Justices of the Part Harcourt division of the court  hearing the appeal filed by a former Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government of Rivers State, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, accused of murder.

    The court’s Media Officer, Sa’adatu Musa said, in a statement yesterday, faulted claims in a recent publication by a Rivers State-based group, as Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative (IFTPI), to the effect that changing the panel to hear the bail application by Amachree amounted to abuse of judicial powers.

    She said the decision of the court’s President, Zainab Bulkachuwa to consttitute a fresh panel to hear the application was informed by a request to that effect by Amachree’s lawyer, Ken O. Atsuwete.

    Mrs Musa said: “On 13th June, 2016, a letter was received by the office of the Hon. President from one Ken O. Atsuwete, Esq. a Solicitor in the Law Office of K. O. Atsuwete & Co. located at No. 42, Isiokpo Street, D/Line, Port-Harcourt, Rivers and representing the Appellant in the case of Ojukaye Flag Amachree v. The State (CA/PH/16CR/2016).

    “In the said letter, the Solicitor requested His Lordship for an assignment of his Client’s bail application to a fresh appeal Panel. In order to safeguard the integrity of the local Panelist and in exercise of his constitutional powers, his Lordship constituted a new Panel to determine the bail application.

  • Govt shouldn’t fund carnivals, says Amachree

    Govt shouldn’t fund carnivals, says Amachree

    An elder statesman and one of the leading tourism promoters in the country, Alabo Mike Amachree, has advised both the federal and state governments to stop investment in cultural carnivals.

    Amachree, who organized the first Abuja Carnival in 1990 and the second River State cultural festival with other stakeholders in 1993 in Port Harcourt, explained that cultural carnivals are not capable of attracting inbound tourists to Nigeria.

    He said: “It is merely a jamboree. For instance, the carnival usually organized in Port Harcourt and Abuja did not even attract local tourists talk less international tourist visitors.”

    He said what can bring international tourists to Nigeria is investment in world-class tourist sites and museums where Nigerian culture and history will be displayed permanently.”

    He said all the carnivals organized in the country in Calabar, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja should be done by the private sector, while the government’s position should be to provide tourism infrastructure.

    He reiterated that government is required to encourage and assist the private sector to grow as the success of the private sector is the only way the government could claim success in tourism.

    Amachree said attractions such as the Natioanal Theatre, Lagos should be upgraded to first-class tourist centre. It should be named a film production village where artistes will entertain on daily basis. It will be likened to Hollywood in Los Angeles.

    Also, he said the Yankari Game Reserve was the only game reserve that could compare to the Nairobi Wildlife Park in Kenya. He urged the Federal Government to partner Bauchi State in developing it.

    The Port Harcourt Tourist Beach, he said, has the best location for aquatic tourism (boat regatta, boat cruise, fishing festival and swimming competition) in Nigeria.

    The tourist expert described the Ogbunike Cave in Anambra State as a wonder of nature. He likened it to the Hercules, Tangiers in Morocco. He also called on the Federal Government to assist the state to develop the state into an international tourist site.

    Wase Rock in Plateau State has been described as highest mountain in Nigeria compared to the Tanzanian Kilimanjero. Amachree said it should also be developed.

    He also explained that the Emir of Kano Palace should be furnished with  antiquities and monuments, and tourists should allowed to tour the palace and savour the rich culture of Kano.

    He said: “During my visit to the palace with members of the Nigerian Tourism Associations in the 1990, the late emir (Ado Bayero) and I agreed that the palace should be elevated to a tourist site. They will also enjoy the pleasure of horse display in the palace to know the history of the emirate. “

    Finally, Chief Amachree recommended the development of the six tourist sites to ensure that the Federal Government is fair to the six geo-political zones in terms of federal assistance to tourism development and promotion in the country.

  • Rivers State should encourage tourism developers – Amachree

    Rivers State should encourage tourism developers – Amachree

    The proprietor of the Brooklyn Tourism Centre and former President of the Association Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), Alabo Mike Amachree, has called on the Rivers State government to encourage the private tourism developers to establish tourist sites and museums where artifacts, relics and monuments would be on display. He said it was the only way to make the state a tourist destination.

    He added: “Organizing carnivals, night clubs, hotels and tour guide services are completely the function of the private sectors as was the case in Plateau state in the early 90’s. Government’s position is to provide the infrastructure for the private sector to operate. Amachree made this call when a group, the Niger Delta Cultural Entertainers paid him a visit.”

    Amachree said tourism was not just about building hotels, fast food restaurants, organizing carnival festivals that will attract the desired tourists to Rivers State as these facilities are mere ancillary or support service for tourism promotion and tourist delight.

    He said the state has to develop high class tourist sites and museums where our history and cultural relics, artifacts and monuments would be permanently exhibited for admiration by our visiting tourists. The tour operators would then market the sites and bring in visitors. He said also that development and promotion of tourism was entirely a private sector affair, and that government was to provide enabling environment.

    The leader of the group, Professor Henry Bellgam of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Port Harcourt, said the visit was to  felicitate and encourage the proprietor of the centre, Alabo Mike Amachree , on his latest tourism venture, the Brooklyn Tourism Centre, Port Harcourt.

    The group noted that Chief Amachree despite his age and years in industry was still enthusiastic and at the forefront of promoting Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria in general as a tourism destination. They noted that the Brooklyn Tourist Centre would not only offer relaxation facilities for  residents of Port Harcourt, but would also be educative for pupils in both primary and secondary school as the have the opportunity to see both exotic animals and through the museum learn about the history of Africa.

    The centre, located at the East-West Road, Rumuosi in Obio-Akpor council area of the state, has in addition to relaxation and accommodation facilities, the Museum of African History and Culture and a zoo.  The museum had history of top monarchs that has left indelible marks in the history of Nigeria.

    In his speech at the occasion, Amachree thanked them for the visit. He explained that tourism was  major economic activity which generates income and create employment for the people. He said for a country or state to attract tourists both local and inbound tourists, necessary infrastructures and superstructures that are capable of attracting tourists have to be put in place in addition to the tourists attractions.

    He said: “Tourism can only succeed in an environment where there is peace and security. I therefore express my sincere appreciation of the people of the Rumuosi community in the Obio/Akpor council area where the centre is located”.

    Among those in the team were Dr. P.C. Chuku, Mr. Bright David and others.