The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU, with Arik Air on the development of domestic tourism. The MoU will see to the promotion of Nigeria’s tourism as a main source of revenue generation and job creation.
At the event tagged “Rebuilding the NTDC and Growing the Tourism Value Chain for Revenue Generation and Job Creation” the DG to intimate stakeholders in the industry with the Corporation’s plans for the future.
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, said that the Federal Government was committed to diversifying the economy from crude oil earnings to more sustainable sources of revenue and community-based jobs. “Nigeria’s tourism potential across the 36 states of the federation is capable of proving such sustainability,” Duke said. The minister said that the government was committed to addressing issues of regulation and advocacy for improved infrastructure around tourism sites. “Government is mindful of many challenges faced by stakeholders across the tourism value chain and is, therefore, committed to providing lasting solutions,” he said. Duke noted that the Federal Government had approved N3 billion for the development of the creative arts industry.
The Director-General of NTDC, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, said the main thrust of the meeting was to map out strategies on how to translate Government policies into programmes and projects that can better serve stakeholders in the Tourism Value Chain, especially the Nigerian Citizen.
The stakeholders meeting had the theme: “Rebuilding the NTDC and Growing the Tourism Value Chain for Revenue Generation and Job Creation”.
Mrs. Mbanefo said that the NTDC focused on domestic tourism to boost influx of tourists. “If 20 million out of the 160 million Nigerians travel locally for business, leisure, culture, religion or sports, NTDC expects to generate $4 billion annually through the domestic tourism market,” she said.
The director-general said that domestic tourism was paramount to Nigeria’s development because of its enormous potential in providing jobs. “Through the development of domestic tourism, the industry will be one of the major contributors to Nigeria`s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “The essence of developing the tourism value chain is to create more jobs for youths through partnership with public, private and multilateral organisations,” she said.
