NIGERIA Invest in 2012-13 - Newsdesk Media

One of the aims of the National Tourism
Master Plan is to encourage local
participation in the burgeoning industry
Nigeria remains some distance behind a number of its
African counterparts in this respect.
However, several initiatives have been introduced under
a more coherent tourism strategy that has been evolving since
the turn of the century. For instance, the launch of the Abuja
Carnival in 2005 gave organisers the chance “to showcase
Abuja as a meeting place of cultures and crystallisation of the
creative spirit and cultural diversity of the Nigerian people”.
Now entering its seventh year, the carnival has established
itself as a major international calendar event.
In 2009, the Ministry initiated and developed
six Cultural Industry Centres in Taraba, Enugu, Benue,
Ogun, Ondo and Sokoto, with a view to harnessing local
talents and generating employment. In 2009, the Ministry
also established the Nigerian Cultural House in Salvador,
Brazil, to boost Nigeria’s image internationally.
The announcement in 2005 of a National Tourism
Master Plan was seen as a step in the right direction, although
critics have bemoaned the time that implementation is taking.
The objective of the project is to promote the sustainable
development of the tourism industry as well as development at
the community level by encouraging local participation in, and
ownership and management of, the tourism sector.
The plan also provides strategic recommendations in the
areas of tourism policy, governance, development of tourism
products, marketing, international and domestic transportation,
MEDIA, TOURISM AND CULTURE 159
hospitality, education and training, and legislation. In particular,
it earmarks the nation’s tourist attractions for development,
such as Tinapa Business, Leisure and Conference Resort in
Cross River State, the Farin Ruwa Waterfalls in Nasarawa State
and the Olokola Cultural Resort in Ondo State.
Edem Duke, minister of tourism, culture and national
orientation, admitted at the end of 2011 that the master plan
had stalled in recent years but said: “I think the greatest
challenge is to find leadership that has courage and
commitment in order to move that initiative forward.”
Duke also said the federal government is engaged in
simplifying the visa process to encourage more investors into
the country, stressing that many had complained about
bottlenecks associated with issuance of Nigerian visas abroad.
The Ministry has also overseen a radical improvement
in the physical infrastructure, with the refurbishment of
museums and theatres and the construction of craft
centres and tourist resorts.
With continued funding from both the private and public
sectors, an aggressive marketing strategy and coordinated
implementation of the master plan, there is every chance that
the country will be better equipped to develop, manage and
sustain its tourism industry. This would spread the benefits of
tourism to all parts of the country and all layers of society,
thereby greatly contributing to the eradication of poverty and
the economic regeneration of Nigeria. ■
INvEST IN NIGERIA 2012-13