THE former Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Chief Segun Runsewe has proposed a strategy called Tourism Export and Agriculture promotion (TEA) to revive Nigeria economy from the present recession.
He noted that tourism export promotion of Nigeria’s goods and services and agriculture development, all strategically fused into our economic blueprint and pursued with commitment and passion will bail Nigeria out of economic recession.
In his short remarks after picking up a tourism legacy award bestowed on him by the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (Nanta) for serving Nigeria’s tourism meritoriously, Runsewe submitted that a 60 per cent aggressive tourism promotion and development template fused with an export bench of about 12/20 per cent and a national agriculture powered outlook and expectation of a yearly growth rate of about 35/40 per cent all keyed into index of national economic timeline would return Nigeria to winning ways.
“This TEA strategy can bail us out of recession and provide the much needed jobs for our people” he noted, adding that tourism in Nigeria should be seen as serious business.
Runsewe who dedicated his award to the growth of Nigerian tourism, called on the Nigeria private sector to think out of the box to drive the industry and commended NANTA for initiating the innovative award to recognise and encourage those who made visible sacrifice for Nigeria’s tourism growth.