Abuja: Stakeholders in the tourism sector have called on government at all levels to ensure provision of basic infrastructure to further enhance its contributions to national economy. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders made the call at the ongoing 7th annual National Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo (NTTSE), at the Velodrome of the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the two-day summit, which began on Dec. 3, has the theme: ‘Tourism Transportation Connectivity: Accelerating the Synergy for National Economic Development’. The stakeholders emphasized that Nigeria has vast sites and attractions that need to be properly accessed and developed to attract tourists for national economic gains. They expressed concerns over the poor state of basic infrastructure, particularly the inadequate road networks across the country, which has hampered accessibility to tourism sites and locations.
The summit brought together industry players from both the
public and private sectors and representatives of relevant institutions, including the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Federal Capital Territory Transportation Secretariat, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Nigerian Shippers Council, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ministry of Aviation, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), and Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), among others.
Dr. Kayode Opeifa, Executive Director of the Centre for Sustainable Mobility and Access Development (CenSMAD), highlighted that insecurity and transportation challenges must be effectively tackled for Nigeria’s tourism sector to thrive. He pointed out that tourism is fundamentally about mobility, and without access, tourism will struggle to succeed. He urged the government to make a conscious effort to ensure infrastructure is provided and suggested that the Federal Gove
rnment offer incentives to state governments with tourist sites to improve accessibility.
Mr. Nkereuwem Onung, President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), stressed the need for collective efforts by government at all levels to address infrastructure decay, especially bad roads. He argued that the Nigerian public sector needs to understand the importance of harnessing infrastructure to develop a proper tourism industry and compared this to practices in other countries.
Mr. Folorunsho Coker, Director-General of NTDA, noted that inconsistent policy is a significant issue in the sector, alongside infrastructure. He emphasized the need for consistency in public policy to attract private investment and highlighted that technology should be leveraged in both transportation and tourism to avoid merely paying lip service to the problem.
Mr. Abiodun Odusanwo, National President of the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN) and chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Organising Com
mittee (IMOC) of the summit, described the annual event as a flagship initiative for tourism stakeholders. He explained that the summit serves as a platform for stakeholders to collaborate and focus on key areas such as infrastructure development, regulatory frameworks, capacity building, and marketing.
While declaring the conference open, Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, stated that the federal government is committed to creating an enabling environment for tourism to thrive. Represented by Special Assistant Nanayakkara Roshan, the minister highlighted that Nigeria’s tourism sector holds the promise of being a key driver for economic diversification, particularly as the nation looks beyond oil-dependent growth.