• Govt urged to ensure proper structure for tourism promotion in Africa

The Edo State Government is set to stage the second edition of its yearly carnival from December 13 to 26, targeting more than N1 billion in economic activities and close to 100,000 participants under the theme “The Spirit of Edo.”

Announcing the projections at a press briefing in Lagos, the state’s Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Planning Committee for the carnival, Emmanuel Okoebor, said the event is being organised by the state government in partnership with Peak Rendezvous Entertainment Global Limited.

According to Okoebor, the maiden edition, held in 2025, drew more than 10,000 people and offered an early indication of the carnival’s economic potential, with over 1,000 parade participants, 27 costume categories, local tailors producing costumes and footwear, and more than 500 food vendors operating throughout the event.

The Commissioner said the projected economic activity in this year’s edition is expected to benefit hotels, restaurants, transport operators, fashion designers, food vendors and entertainment businesses supporting the carnival, and the government’s priority is ensuring the event translates into direct income for young people, not just crowd numbers.

“We are looking at how much money is going into the hands of our young people,” he said.  “The carnival is designed to showcase the rich heritage, creativity, hospitality and contemporary identity of the Edo people, while promoting Benin City as a destination for major cultural and entertainment events,” Okoebor added.

MEANWHILE, the President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Aliyu Badaki, has called on governments and other stakeholders across Africa to establish proper structures and policies capable of driving sustainable growth in the tourism industry.

Badaki regretted that the absence of a well-defined and coordinated structure remained one of the major factors responsible for the slow development of Nigeria’s tourism sector.

Delivering a goodwill message at the 22nd edition of the Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos yesterday, Badaki maintained that Nigeria and other West African countries could not continue to adopt the same approach and expect different results.

The FTAN President said the industry required deliberate government intervention, effective policies and stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to unlock its enormous potential.

According to him, the Tourism Transformation Agenda was one of the key factors that propelled the current leadership of FTAN, with the association convinced that structural reforms were essential to repositioning the sector.

He noted that Nigeria and other African countries were endowed with enormous tourism attractions, adding that events such as Akwaaba had demonstrated the capacity of the continent to promote intra-African tourism, business networking and cultural exchange.