Memo to Gen Buhari on tourism 2 by Wale Ojo Lanre
April 29, 2015 - 07:15
0 comments
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo connection
President-elect sir, do you know that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated Presidential Council on Culture and Tourism?
1 million naira Tourism Fund for each State in 1978
And sir, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the two-time former president of Nigeria, was the first president who not only believes not only in tourism as a wondrous economic booster, but also latter strove hard to explore it as an alternate revenue resources to crude oil.
It was General Obasanjo as the head-of-state who, at the later end of his regime in 1978, approved a sum of one million naira each of the 19 state governors for the development of a tourism site in their respective states.
The then General Obasanjo believed that Nigeria could kick off the tourism economy if it can sustain 19 exciting tourism sites. Sir, only few states governors ever used the money for that purpose.
Late Adekunle Ajasin and one million naira tourism fund
However, one of the civilian governors who inherited the money, Late Adekunle Ajasin, the then Governor of Ondo State, expended the states portion of the fund in rehabilitating and constructing of the Federal Government chalets at the famous Ikogosi Cold and Warm Spring.
It is noteworthy that, there was never an improvement on that particular tourism site until the tenure of Governor Kayode Fayemi, who perfectly understood the economic import of tourism and transformed the once neglected site to an Eldorado.
It is instructive to point out here sir, that Ikogosi Warm and Cold Spring Resort, which Dr Fayemi rehabilitated in Ekiti when he was the governor, is the only project, apart from the educational institutions in the state, which has continued to lubricate the economy of the state phenomenally.
Sir, it will interest you that within the first three months of its formal opening, Ikogosi Warm and Cold Spring Resort attracted over 22,000 visitors to the town and the state.
Definitely Sir, this phenomenal visit, apart from directly impacting on the resort by the way of gate fee, accommodation and feeding also rubbed on the economy of the state via, visitors purchasing one item or the other, from ranging from petrol, drinks, pure water, drugs, food items (road side market) and other ancillary business.
This is to show that if the 19 states governors then had judiciously expended the fund allocated to tourism on a site, by now, at least, going by the Ikogosi Warm and Cold Spring Resort example, Nigeria would be proud of having 19 exciting sites.
First Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Sir, despite the fact that the first tourism seed fund was misused, Chief Obasanjo, on his second coming as a civilian president, never allowed that to kill his tourism dream for the nation.
Upon his swearing in, he immediately created the first ever Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with 11 appropriate parastatals set up with specific charter.
The parastatals are the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), with charter to market, promote, nurture and develop tourism; National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), with the mission to serve as training ground and platform for the capacity need of the sector; National Council of Arts and Culture, NCAC, with objective of consolidating the various cultural and arts assets of the nation in building the tourism sector; National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), with specific aim of harnessing our cultural resources to meet the challenges of social integration, peace and unity, for tourism development; National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) with the responsibility of collection, preservation and presentation of Nigerian antiquities for education and tourism purposes; Centre for Black Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), with the target of ensuring the promotion of Nigeria as the paragon of African arts, by exhibiting to the world, through lectures, symposia and exhibitions, why the millions of the diaspora population must visit Nigeria and trace their roots; National Gallery of Arts (NGA), charged with enhancing and developing the visual art sector for tourism; National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), charged with promotion of Nigeria’s various dances; Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the National Theatre.
Mr President in waiting, the ministry and all the parastatals under it performed and lived up to expectation under Chief Obasanjo, not because of any miracle but because Chief Obasanjo was then determined to ensure that the tourism sector is not only developed for its entertaining aspect, or for the fun of it, but to serve as an alternative source of revenue for the nation. Hence, the ministry’s first minister, Chief Ojo Madueke, adopted the slogan: “From entertainment to emancipation.”
To create an enabling environment, every policy and project embarked upon or launched under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was tilted towards, job creation, empowerment and revenue generation.
It is to the eternal contribution of Chief Obasanjo that he did not only ensure a mound of financial consideration for this sector but ensured that some of those appointed to run the affairs of the ministry and parastatals were qualified men and women.
In addition, it is on record that Chief Obasanjo did not hesitate to change or sack whoever was not pursuing the tourism vision of the nation.
Presidential Council on Tourism and Culture
Just to show that he meant business on tourism, Chief Obasanjo inaugurated the first Presidential Council on Tourism and Culture, set up primarily to focus on the development of the tourism sector, and of which he was the chairman and included others ministers whose ministries were strategic to the development of tourism such as Finance, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Police, Works, Aviation, Information and Environment, with state governors whose states harbour notable tourism sites and willing to develop tourism in their states
The main reason for Chief Obasanjo’s inauguration of a presidential council on tourism is to ensure presidential attention and dispatch to tourism issues.
For instance, the Ministry of Tourism found it easy to access fund for the organisation of the first and second Abuja Carnival, and the inauguration of the Committee on Tourism Master Plan, just because these two projects had been discussed at the council, where the president was in attendance with the minister for finance and other ministers whose ministries were involved in the two projects.
This council met quarterly, with all members present, while issues and policies concerning tourism were made and necessary processes for implementation set in motion and executed with presidential fiat .
While the Presidential Council on Culture and Tourism met regularly and made headway, Chief Obasanjo also encouraged the states to sustain the National Council on Culture and Tourism (NCCT), where all state commissioners of tourism in Nigeria hobnobbed and strategised on tourism.
This made the tenure of Chief Obasanjo the most memorable time for tourism and it attracted ……………………? to the nation.
Conference of all Commonwealth Ministers of Tourism, when 53 ministers of the Commonwealth converged on Abuja, were addressed by the then president, Obasanjo, in April 2006.
The inauguration, commencement and development of the Nigeria Tourism Development Master Plan
Sir, do you believe that Nigeria spent heavily on the Nigeria Tourism Development Master Plan but unfortunately nothing has been done about it “
The inauguration of Abuja carnival
The resuscitation of Argungu Festival
The rejuvenation of various domestic tourism – cultural festivals in the six geo- political zones in Nigeria.
The hosting of Commonwealth Head of Governments (CHOGHOM)
Nigeria was recognised as a tourism-friendly nation.
Tinapa and Obudu Ranch Resort were conceived and construction commenced.
The dismantling of police road blocks or operation 48 hrs ultimatum visa issuance policy for tourists coming to Nigeria at our embassies all over the world.
To crown Chief Obasanjo’s success in this realm, a Nigerian lady, Agbani Darego, won Miss World Beauty contest.
Chief Obasanjo laid the foundation for tourism to blossom, which was even noticed by World Tourism Organisation (WTO), which listed Nigeria as one of the nations making progress in tourism.
Sir, you will also agree that going by the tale of tourism glory enumerated above, Nigeria should, by now, be one of the proud tourism countries of the world, but that is not the case.
To be continued next week.
