Institute seeks stand-alone Tourism Ministry

• Says sector remains most viable non-oil alternative 

The National President of Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN), Abiodun Odusanwo, has added his voice to the clamour for the creation of a stand-alone Ministry of Tourism and Culture by the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying it is the fastest means of resuscitating the nation’s ailing economy.

Odusanwo spoke with the media at the Abuja head office of the institute.

He said that tourism remained one of the most viable non-oil alternative sectors capable of revamping and sustaining the ailing national economy.

He added that the sector stimulated development in terms of income generation, employment opportunities, foreign exchange earnings, taxation as well as the attendant multiplier and spillover effects that it has on the rest of the economy.

He said: “Globally, tourism remains one of the greatest contributing sectors to the economies of most countries, accounting for the substantial income generation and foreign exchange earnings.

“Nigeria can do a lot better if the necessary recognition and attention are accorded to the sector, as a viable economic venture that is equally capable for massive job creation and poverty eradication.”

“With the renew hope agenda of the present administration, the tourism sector deserves a prime position and recognition in the pursuits of the non-oil sector economy that will bail the country out of the woods and place it on the path of sustainable economic growth and development.”

The ITPN President further stated that a stand-alone ministry of tourism and culture was long overdue for Nigeria, stressing that the enormous tourism potentials that the country is endowed with and its vintage position of being considered a preferred destination by the global tourist population gives credence to the call.

Odusanwo expressed optimism that President Tinubu’s administration would do the country good by focusing and exploring the economic potentials and viability existing in the tourism industry.

He observed that while most African countries with less tourism endowments than Nigeria were doing better utilising the benefits inherent in the sector to earn high percentage of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the sector, Nigeria was still lagging behind, leaving its abundant tourism potentials unexplored and untapped.

The ITPN boss affirmed that stakeholders and key players of the industry had confident in the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of the present administration to accord the tourism industry a prime place in its economic development agenda by creating a stand-alone tourism ministry.