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Tag: Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria

  • FTAN calls for stand-alone tourism ministry

    The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to create a stand-alone ministry of tourism, prioritize and fund the new tourism ministry. The President of FTAN, Alhaji Saleh Rabo, made this call in Abuja this week when Mrs. Opakiriti Josephine Nzobiwu, the new Director of Domestic Tourism at the Ministry of Information and Culture, went on a familiarization visit to the headquarters of FTAN in Asokoro, Abuja.

    The new Director of Domestic Tourism has just been redeployed from the Federal Ministry of Transport in Abuja. On her maiden meeting with FTAN Council members at their secretariat, Mrs. Opakiriti Josephine Nzobiwu, assured the federation of her commitment to involve the organized tourism private sector in the scheduled programmes and events of her department at the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

    The Domestic Tourism Director also assured FTAN members that she would periodically seek inputs of tourism business operators in advising the minister over future domestic tourism programmes and events. Mrs. Nzobiwu said her personal travels to some international tourist destinations revealed that Nigeria’s tourism economy can be sustainably developed, if the private sector is incentivised to invest in the industry.

    Earlier, in his welcome remark, FTAN president lamented that the current nomenclature of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture without tourism is a disservice to the sector and sad reflection of the non-committal policy of the federal government towards tourism business development in Nigeria.

    Alhaji Rabo reiterated that the current Ministry of Information and Culture is too big for one minister to supervise. He insisted that the minister is too preoccupied with the enormity of managing matters relating to information, and, therefore, has no time for tourism sector policy promotion.

    Some FTAN council members present at the meeting echoed the FTAN president’s lamentation and further posited that, in the light of the impending cabinet reshuffle by President Buhari, following his recent re-election for a second term, a substantive Minister of Tourism should be appointed. They explained that it is better to have a junior a Minister of State for Tourism than to have none. FTAN members, therefore, called for a delineation akin to the current Ministry of Aviation, which has a Minister of State.

    FTAN council members announced that they are resolved to engage the Office of the President in this matter. They pointed out that since the beginning of the APC government at the federal level, the tourism sector had not received any significant business friendly palliative, not even in the much touted Ease of Doing Business policy.

    It may be recalled that FTAN and other stakeholders have since 2015, when tourism was downgraded in the current structure of the Ministry of Information and Culture, called for the appointment of a dedicated Permanent Secretary to superintend over the affairs of tourism in the federal civil service. Business owners and operators in Nigeria’s tourism industry believe that current Information and Culture Ministry is best managed by, at least, two concurrent permanent secretaries, since the minister will be too busy because of the sheer size of his portfolios.

    The new Director of Domestic Tourism was accompanied on her familiarization visit to FTAN Secretariat by Mrs. Narayi, the Deputy Director of Domestic Tourism, and one other senior official of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

  • Nigeria partners UNWTO to implement tourism master plan Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said his ministry is partnering the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in the implementation of the National Tourism Development master plan in order to optimally harness the country’s tourism potential.

    The minister disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday when he declared open the Fourth Tourism Investors Forum and Exhibition organized by the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN).

    “Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to draw your attention to the fact that the programmes and policies to fully harness the country’s vast tourism potential over the next one and half decades are anchored on the National Tourism Development Master Plan. In order to ensure its full implementation, the ministry sought and secured the support of the UNWTO to assist in the implementation of the Tourism Master Plan,” he said.

    The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Deaconess Grace Isu-Gekpe, said pursuant to the implementation of the master plan, the UNWTO is already seeking the support of some donor agencies to assist Nigeria with funds for the execution of the project on the Strengthening of National Tourism Statistical System and the development of a Tourism Satellite Account for Nigeria.

    He said this became necessary because lack of accurate statistics on arrivals and receipts is one of the major problems militating against the development of tourism in Nigeria.

    Alhaji Mohammed said the Ministry of Information and Culture will soon inaugurate a National Consultative Forum that will review the recommendations of the UNWTO Post Technical Mission Project Document, with membership of the Forum drawn from all critical stakeholders in the Tourism Sector, including FTAN.

    He said the private sector is critical to the development of tourism in the country, hence the government’s decision to build an enduring framework for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to provide the required confidence for prospective investors.

    The minister said the government has fashioned out tourism investment incentives such as tax exemption for up to three years, export/import incentives, land at concessionary rate and work permit to foreigners with specialized skills in order to attract private sector investment.

  • Amachree calls on Lagos to build private sector tourism

    Nigeria’s Father of Tourism, Chief Mike Amachree, has called on the Lagos State government to empower the private sector tourism industry practitioners in the state.

    He made this called at the just- concluded 2018 Akwaaba  West African Travel Market recently held at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Amachree, who was one of the guests during the exciting Lagos Day at the fair, commended the state for its vision and efforts to make tourism  a key sector in the state’s economy .

    He said: “I wish to commend the government of Lagos for its strategic focus on tourism.  I think it is a step in the right direction. The tourism vision of Lagos is such that if effectively implemented, it would transform the state into one of the leading destinations in Africa.

    “Lagos is so blessed in the area of heritage and eco-tourism. The state has close to 200 kilometres of white sandy beach front. This is a major tourism asset. The state is also the entertainment capital of Africa being the birth place of Nollywood and  it is also home to the some of the biggest music names in Africa.  All these could be harnessed to boost the tourism reception in  the state.

    “Having said that,  it is important that the state empowers the private sector to come up with tourism products that would bring  Africa and the rest of the world to Lagos. The duty of the government is to create the enabling environment for tourism to thrive; however, it is equally important that the private sector tourism investors are encouraged to key into this vision of the state government. It is only then that meaningful progress could be made.”

    Amachree also used to the opportunity to commend the organizers of the Akwaaba Travel Market. He sees the fair as a positive for Africa as it helps to bring people from within and outside the continent to Nigeria. In addition he said the fair offers opportunity for African countries to cooperate and synergize in order to develop tourism in their different countries. He said through the fair, many African destinations are seeing the need to cooperate..

    Among those present at the Lagos Day were the Director General of the National Council of Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe;  Lagos Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Steve Ayorinde; Anambra State Commissioner of Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo; the First Deputy President, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung, and many other guests.

  • Tourism practitioners praise FG on national carrier

    Tourism industry stakeholders have reacted to the news that Nigeria would float a new national carrier from December this year. They commended the Federal Government for the initiatives, but cautioned that the new airline, Nigerian Air, must not go the way of the liquidated Nigeria Airways.

    Speaking on the development, the President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Alhaji Rabo Saleh, said it was a good development.

    “We in the tourism industry believe it is a good development as it helps in developing tourism in Nigeria. People coming to Nigeria from different parts of the world would not need to go anywhere for a connecting flight. There are so many benefits that come from floating a national carrier. However, the airline should be run as a strict business enterprise with little or no input from the government,”he said.

    The President of the Institute of Tourism Practitioners (ITP)   and the FTAN Second Deputy President, Otunba Abiodun Odusanwo, praised the government for the achievement.

    He said: “There is a need for a country to have a national carrier. Apart from its importance to tourism and the social economic growth of the country, it has a publicity angle. If the aircraft lands in any country, it brings attention to the country. It shows that a country is developed or is developing.  The new airline offers employment opportunities to many Nigerians.

    “There is also the security angle. It is important that when we have key Nigerian government functionaries, it would be best if they travel with our national carrier rather than using foreign carrier. So, it is a welcome development.”

    Ikechi Uko, the publisher of the ATQ magazine and the organizer of Akwaaba West African travel fair, believes it is a welcome development, but  that the floating of the new carrier must not affect private local carriers negatively.

    The Federal Government  has revealed the branding and livery for a new national flag-carrier, Nigeria Air, at the Farnborough Airshow.

    The development comes nearly 15 years after the previous state-run airline, Nigerian Airways, ceased operations and was greeted with some scepticism.

    Nigeria Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said: “I am very pleased to tell you that we are finally on track to launching a new national flag carrier for our country, Nigeria Air.

    “We are all fully committed to fulfilling the campaign promises made by our president, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015.

    “We are aiming to launch Nigeria Air by the end of this year.”

    The branding and naming of the new national carrier follows a social media campaign undertaken by the Ministry of Aviation which invited Nigerian youths and students for their input and creativity to come up with a name for the new Nigerian flag carrier.

    Sirika continued: “I want to personally thank our transaction advisers led by AMG and the special task force who have worked diligently to achieve the results so far and overcome the challenges involved.

    “We obtained the certificate of compliance from the Nigerian Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission two weeks ago and can now go into the investor search.

    “I am confident that we will have a well-run national flag carrier, a global player, compliant to international safety standards, one which has the customer at its heart.

    “An airline that communicates the essence of our beautiful country, an airline we can all be proud of.”

    The airline is likely to be primarily owned and managed by a group of a yet unidentified private investors.

    “The Nigerian government will not own more than five per cent of the new national carrier.

    “The government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it.

    “Following extensive market research, the branding of our new airline, Nigeria Air, demonstrates a true flag carrier of our nation, soaring through the skies in the shape of our nation’s eagle,”Sirika said.

  • Tourism Federation collaborates with NBS to enhance data collection.

    Tourism Federation collaborates with NBS to enhance data collection.

     The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) says  it is  collaborating with the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) to enhance data collection on tourism to attract investors.

    The President of the Federation, Malam Saleh Rabo, told the Reporter  on Thursday in Abuja that the nation’s economy needed to benefit from  the immense potential of its tourism industry.

    “With our newly established department of data and research, we are collaborating with NBS to see how the private sector can help improve the collation of data in the tourism industry.

    “This will enable people who want to invest in the sector to have reliable data and other information that will encourage and stimulate them.

    “So, we are working with them and by the grace of God we are repositioning FTAN so that the benefits of tourism can be enjoy by everybody,’’ Rabo said.

    Rabo stressed the need for infrastructure such as  roads, electricity and security  to enable the  tourism sector in the country to flourish, saying the  efforts of the Federal Government should complemented by the other tiers.

    Read Also:Nigeria’s inflation drops to 15.37% in December 2017 NBS

    According to him, the federation is not relenting on its efforts to encourage  genuine investors to come into the sector so that the economy can continue to enjoy the benefits of tourism.

    On the involvement of youths in tourism activities, Rabo expressed satisfaction with the participation of  Tourism Youth Organisations in the development of the sector.

    “In fact, a Motor Rally Association joined us recently; they are youth association which promotes the culture of `Safe Driving’ and then try to promote motor rally in Abuja and Nigeria in general.

    “Nevertheless, there is nothing you can do without involving the youth because they are the backbone of every society. Therefore, we are involved in all tourism activities in the country,’’ he said.

    On the lull in the activities of the Presidential Council on Tourism after its inauguration two years ago, Rabo said it was not unconnected to the myriad of  challenges facing the country.

    “FTAN is a member of the council. I believe everybody understands the situation in the country today. There are challenges we are having on security issues.

    “The government is trying its best to tackle those challenges. If those have been nipped  in the bud, the council will come together and do something about tourism.

    “This is because tourism is a sector that is supposed to drive the economy. I hope after the storm the PCT will sit to see to issues in the sector,’’ Rabo  said.

    NAN

  • Argungu Fishing Festival: FG, tourism stakeholders to partner Kebbi State

    Argungu Fishing Festival: FG, tourism stakeholders to partner Kebbi State

    Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria ( FTAN ) says it will partner with the Kebbi State Government to revamp the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival.

    Mr Nura Sani Kangiwa, the Vice President of FTAN ( North West Zone ), made this known in an interview in Abuja on Monday.

    Kangiwa said that this was part of the decisions reached at the 9th National Council on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation conference held in Dutse, Jigawa State recently.

    The National Council on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation is an annual gathering aimed at bringing together stakeholders to discuss ways the sector can contribute effectively to improve the country’s Gross Domestic Products ( GDP ).

    Kangiwa said that part of the decisions reached at the meeting was the revamping of the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival as it was set to make a big comeback.

    “Based on the resolution recently reached by the National Council on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, it was agreed that the Federal Government and all tourism stakeholders will partake in the revamping of the festival.

    “So, all tourism stakeholders are going to partner with the Kebbi State Government to ensure that the festival, which has been comatose for some years is revived in order to promote our country as a tourism destination,” he said.

    He said that the Federal Government in its effort to diversify the economy had recognised the creative industry, which  culture and tourism were integral part aimed at creating jobs and improve foreign exchange earnings.

    Read also: Argungu Festival shines at UNESCO’s session

    “This was reflected in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017 to 2020.

    “Cultural Tourism is a source of revenue generation. As an “invisible export” it creates a flow of foreign currency into the economy of a nation.

    “The Culture and Tourism Sector is gaining more recognition and visibility and evolving economic activities capable of reducing extreme poverty, creating jobs and generating revenues for national growth and development.

    “Therefore, in line with the mission of the current political dispensation for diversification of economic activities, revamping the Argungu International Fishing Festival will no doubt satisfy the yearnings of our people,” he said.

    Kangiwa, who is `Turakin Kebbi’ described the Argungu International Fishng and Cultural Festival as “second to none in Africa’’.

    “It has been a beehive of activities for fun seeking tourists for decades. It is a cornucopia of cultural heritage and it astonished the world in both authenticity and variety of contents.

    “It is a festival that is already a tourism product that is acclaimed worldwide; no doubt UNESCO inscribed it in its prestigious list of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Humanity.

    “A study from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) reveals that 80 per cent of international tourists visit destinations on the world heritage list.

    “This no doubt gave Kebbi honour, dignity and pride,” he said.

    The Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival is expected to hold in March 2018.

    The four-day yearly festival held in Kebbi is one of Nigeria’s internationally recognised tourism attractions.

    The festival has not been held since the last edition in 2009 largely due to the security situation the country has been faced with and this had posed a huge revenue loss to the local economy and the country.

    On the issue of security, Kangiwa said Kebbi State was undoubtedly the safest state in the country in spite of its diverse religious and ethnic groups, adding that the level of youth restiveness and religious crisis remained the lowest.

    NAN