Nigeria is endowed with rich human, natural and cultural resources which are a great asset to the country’s tourism development.
Despite, the growth of international tourism and its importance in developing countries, the tourism industry in Nigeria has not grown significantly. Political instability, crime and ethno-religious disputes in Nigeria have been a major impediment to tourism development.
Tourism, if based on good practices honed through ecotourism, could be a powerful tool that would reduce the country’s dependence on oil. This type of socially and environmentally responsible tourism could also reduce national instability by helping to create wealth, bridge cultural differences, foster peace among the different ethnic and religious groups, and develop rural communities.
However, since the appointment of Mrs. Sally Mbanefo as the Director-General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), I have kept an eye on her activities, especially her gospel of encouraging domestic tourism in the country. She has been selling her domestic tourism package through her numerous visits from Lagos to Kaduna, Taraba to Bayelsa, Cross River to Osun, Sokoto to Rivers, Akwa Ibom to Ogun, Ondo to Benue, Kano to Enugu etc.
Her appointment as the NTDC DG is one of the significant appointments made by the federal government under President Goodluck Jonathan. Regardless of not having a strong credential in tourism before her appointment, she has used her corporate experience to bear in the accomplishments of the organisation. I think, by all standards, she has performed creditably by living up to her promises and building up her vision to re-position tourism and boost domestic tourism for national development.
Since she came into office, her message has been on the need to collaborate with stakeholders to market the country to Nigerians and to the outside world, and help the nation’s economy through domestic tourism which would aid economic development in the country. The spirit of domestic tourism is to encourage Nigerians to look inwards and explore the country. Nigerians should take it as a challenge to showcase Nigeria in a positive perspective by encouraging foreigners that Nigeria is a tourists’ destination.
Domestic tourism is a welcome idea that can boost our economy and place Nigeria in the comity of tourism nations who have developed their tourism base, if well sustained. When you compare the tourism in Nigeria and that of the western countries, one will see that they have gone far beyond with only a difference: they all had the political will to place tourism as a major priority.
A lot of tourism potentials that abound in all the states of Nigeria today could hardly be seen in the western world. In cultural terms, Nigeria remains one of the richest nations in the world, owing to the fact that there is unity in diversity. Today, in Nigeria, every ethnic group has something that makes its members unique from others. The beauty of it is that Nigerian culture will make it easy for the development of tourism because of the nation’s rich and diverse culture.
Tourism identity would go a long way to projecting the country positively, apart from growing and developing the tourism sector in the country. Nigeria must grow domestic tourism to reduce rural-urban migration by the youths in particular. Domestic tourism has also been very low, as many Nigerians are too poor to embark on vacation, and those with resources have not developed a culture of tourism. Some even prefer to spend their vacation in places like Dubai, Island of Bahamas, Paris, London or the United States, instead of doing it in places like Tinapa Holiday Resort and Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross Rivers, the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba, Olumo Rock in Ogun, Idanre Hills in Ondo etc.
As much as domestic tourism holds an enormous charm for many, a lot needs to be done, as the road to domestic tourism might be unlikely for now. We need to make tourism a major goal in this country by promoting our cultural heritage to position them to become attractive, and increase in the budgetary allocation of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture should be encouraged.
For whether anybody wants to accept it or not, the activities of Boko Haram terrorists in parts of the country is negatively affecting the tourism industry. Boko Haram has gone beyond destroying buildings and tourist sites; it now affects the nation’s economy badly. Now, tourists try as much as possible to avoid some troubled countries.
Another area the DG of NTDC should look into, apart from domestic tourism, is in the area of research development, to profit from common knowledge of up-to-date practices, networking, career prospect and the improvement of pertinent industrial products to support tourism. Knowledge transfer will boost tourism growth. The crack will best be papered through the collaboration of both public and private sectors in the tourism industry.
Perceived in the tourism parlance as an export industry, driven by three Gs coinage of Tooman: “get them in, get their money, and get them out”, tourism has helped several emerging countries to move away from reliance on agriculture and manufacturing.
• Nnanna Okere writes from Finland.
