Lai Mohammed vows to transform tourism into economy booster

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday, pledged to turn the country’s rich tourism potentials into a tourism economy.

The minister spoke when he received the International Tourism Adviser of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Mr. Jim Flannery, who is in the country to assist in the review of the country’s tourism master plan.

He said that the present administration has the political will to drive the process, particularly by removing all the bottlenecks hindering the active participation of the private sector in the tourism industry.

The minister expressed the delight that the visit of the UNWTO International Tourism Adviser kick-started the process of actualizing the six-point agreement reached between Nigeria and the world tourism body during his visit to its headquarters in Madrid, Spain, in July.

Alhaji Mohammed acknowledged the contribution of Flannery to the drafting of the Tourism Master Plan.

The minister expressed optimism that tourism remained the low-hanging fruit that will rejuvenate the country’s economy and empower the country’s poor.

He said, “I want to leave a legacy as the minister that came and transformed the creative industry to a creative economy. I want to leave as the Minister of Tourism that made Nigeria transit from just a country of tourism potentials to a country of tourism economy.

”I am tired of Nigerians saying we have tourism potentials. I want us to start realizing those tourism potentials. I am tired of saying that tourism can create thousands of jobs in Nigeria; I want us to start creating those jobs.

“Our role really as government is more of regulatory and providing guidelines and protection, but the real jobs are within three groups of people: the states, the local community and the private sector.

“Tourism is so unique. It’s the only industry in the world that is pro-poor It’s the only industry in the world that is pro the rural area and it’s the only industry in the world where you do not need highly specialized skills or knowledge because nature in its mercy and bountifulness has created tourism sites where it wants not where we want.”