Information Minister Urges Tourism Stakeholders In Diversifying Economy

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, April 18th, 2016

Alhaji Mohammed identified the non-involvement of local communities in the tourism and culture architecture as one of the banes of the sector and promised to reverse the trend through the training of the locals on specific skills that will enable them to participate actively in the tourism and culture economy.

In addition, he said a multi-sectoral approach is critical in order to
address the multifaceted challenges facing the sectors, while giving an assurance that the present Administration has mustered the political will to tackle those challenges.

“We are not naive enough to believe that re-positioning these critical
sectors will be a walk in the park. We do know, for example, that tourism is a multi-sectoral issue that involves easier access to visas, provision of necessary infrastructure like roads, adequate security, etc. This is why we have decided to call a National Summit on Culture and Tourism, which is scheduled for April 27th to 29th 2016
in Abuja, with a view to charting the path forward.

”We are aware that similar efforts have been made in the past, without an
appreciable result. The difference this time is our commitment and the different milieu provided by the national imperative to diversify the economy, amidst the crash in the price of oil,” the Minister said.

Alhaji Mohammed therefore solicited the support and cooperation of the media to achieve the goal of re-positioning the tourism and culture sectors into the main pillars of the economy due to its potential to generate wealth and create jobs.