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FG moves to mainstream tourism and culture, to revive PCT

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By Renn Offor

‘We know that culture drives tourism’, said the Honourable Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at a press conference with tourism, arts and culture correspondents during his first media parley with the group since assuming office in November 2015. The event held yesterday inside the New Chinese Restaurant, OPIC Plaza, Ikeja, Lagos State.

‘In line with the diversification agenda of this administration, the culture, arts and tourism amongst the other sectors has been identified as the alternative source of revenue for the country’, the minister said.
He continued, ‘As you know very much, this administration is diversifying the economy from oil, which for many years has been the main stay of our economy.‘This is why the Ministry is working so hard to move the sector from the margin to the mainstream of the economy.

‘This is to ensure that the rural poor are captured into the architecture of this sector.’
Breaking down his strategy for action, he unveiled his agenda to drive tourism in Nigeria through promotion of cultural festivals.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed the honourable Minister for    Information and Culture 2‘We are working with local and local and international partners, Tony Elumelu Foundation and British Council, with a view to reviving the sector through capacity building for the workers who will in turn train the others across the country.

‘This will lead to meaningful engagement for our people and create hundreds of jobs; and it will become a money spinner for the economy, while it will equally stem the rural-urban movement.
‘We intend to make the creative industry become a major player in the national economy’.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed also revealed that federal government is working to increase tourist arrivals in to the country through first building capacity through training for festival managers in Nigeria and then fusing that skill to drive tourism through strategically chosen top festivals in the country.
‘To drive tourism through culture, we are working to increase tourist arrivals. We are making a list of top 10 cultural festivals in Nigeria so that we can create a year-round calendar for such events and so we can plan ahead for them’.

The Minister went on to acknowledge that tourism is a robust, yet multifaceted sector that requires the cooperation and inputs from other sectors to create the necessary infrastructure like road, security etc.
‘It is because of these considerations we shall be hosting a National Summit on Culture and Tourism on Abuja on 27th to 29th April 2015.

‘It would be an interactive session to listen to suggestions to move the sector forward’.
Listening to responses from the media, representatives from arts, culture and tourism sides spoke. Mr. Ozolua from The Nation spoke for the arts and culture writers while Mr. Andew Okungbowa of the New Telegraph spoke for tourism writers.

Ozolua implored the minister to revisit the ‘dead’ arts and craft centers across the country, and that the ministry should look towards raising a media foundation fund, that the issues surrounding the National theatre to be resolved and that the issue of culture NDAs funding needs attention.
Mr. Okungbowa in his comment requested the honourable minister on packaging Nigeria very well as a country with the right tourism mix to attract tourists, and he underscored the need to upgrade and make our sites accessible.

He earnestly requested the revisiting of the Presidential Committee on Tourism (PCT) and revising the country’s tourism masterplan to make it workable; while he lament the nation’s cumbersome visa regime.

Other aspects he touched include the need for culture and tourism to work together; attention to revisit and revive the tourism satellite account (TSA); the need to connect with diaspora and the upgrading hospitality infrastructure.

In his response, the minister acknowledged carnival Calabar as a worthy festival of international repute and the need to promote it internationally to attract tourists to Nigeria.

He also indicated his is interest to resuscitate the PCT before the end of the year, as he tapped on the challenge of maintaining a uniform approach towards tackling the issue of bad image of Nigeria which tourists encounter first hands with the various agencies at the points of entry into Nigeria.
Yes he took notes and his responses showed he has aspirations to do things differently.
On the issue of the PCT, the Hon. Minister said, ‘The members of the council will not be pleased if you bring up a memo without consulting with them before the council. You can’t do it alone. You need to lobby them and get their inputs. So, the PCT is still very much alive; at least on paper. We intend to revive it before the year runs out.

‘On the issue of tourism, I think we are going to witness a lot of Improvement.’

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