The Thematic Lead, Tourism and Hospitality Industries, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Ngozi Ngoka, has said that tourism is the bedrock of all economic activities, as a lot of countries survived through tourism after major crisis, be it the COVID-19 pandemic, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), etc.

Ngoka said this during the Review of the National Tourism Policy of Nigeria Stakeholders’ Validation Session held in Lagos recently. Speaking at the event attended by dignitaries, such as the Minister of Arts, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa; former Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, among other stakeholders and resource persons, Ngoka noted that every time there is a major crisis, countries would rely on tourism to revive their economies.

She said: “South Africa is an example; during apartheid, South Africa managed its domestic tourism. By the time apartheid ended, tourism became a big market for them. So that is what we want to align with and achieve in this National Tourism Policy. We want to establish tourism as a business, as a big economic booster for the country.

“A big part of the tourism policy is to develop domestic tourism in Nigeria as a lot of the countries that have tourism as a major contribution to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) started from their local tourism products. There are so many countries that rely on tourism as their GDP. So, if we develop our domestic tourism in Nigeria it is going to attract the global market to us. This is why we are starting by encouraging Nigerians to travel within Nigeria, to use our domestic products. We want to look at what we have already. I know a lot of people are interested in fashion, our creative industry and as it is, our musicians are ranked high globally.

As a matter of fact our fashion, food, music and culture are loved globally. We have a lot of tourism products and now we are developing sports. The sports policy was also pushed by NESG and it was signed. This is because there is a lot of tourism connected to sport so every kind of economic activity would be linked to tourism.”

Speaking on the review, Ngoka said: “The policy review was necessary to maintain the integrity and ability of the tourism policy and guide the industry towards global competitiveness, and sustainable growth. This review will help to update the policy to reflect new legal and regulatory requirements. It would also involve incorporating technological advancements and aligning with current best practices for operational excellence. Furthermore, it would specify how risks would be managed effectively and how to respond proactively to changes in market conditions and tourist preferences. In reviewing the national tourism policy, our vision is to transform Nigeria into a leading tourism destination in Africa and globally. Also to harness our cultural heritage, natural landscapes, creative and sports industries, and vibrant communities to attract tourists and investors. Our guiding principle is on sustainability, innovation, marketing and collaboration. We expect that at the end of the day, we will record increased tourist arrivals, create jobs, and improve global perception of Nigeria as a premiere tourist destination.” She however revealed that the tourism policy, which was originally made in 1990, was first reviewed in 2005 to strategically sustain the sector.

“The tourism policy contains a lot. It’s the best thing that will happen to the tourism industry. This is because for the first time we are going to have a comprehensive document that streamlines the way tourism will work in the country and we have a very fantastic team working on it. The policy review team was divided into seven groups including Infrastructure Development; Marketing and Promotion; Regulatory and Institutional framework; Stakeholders Engagement; Economic Impact; Implementation plan and Sustainability and environmental considerations,” she added.

She urged all stakeholders, including government officials, the private sector and community representatives to actively participate in the implementation process.

“We are excited that this is the first time it’s going to come to fruition,” she noted. While acknowledging the great work done by former Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, on the policy, Ngoka said: “We have been working on this policy for a long time. Mrs. Lola Ade-John took over the work on the policy from the former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. He was the first minister who really showed interest in the tourism sector. We sent him proposals from NESG; the ministry signed a MoU with NESG to develop this policy but unfortunately this started towards the end of his tenure, and Lola Ade-John took over work on the policy quickly when she became Minister of Tourism. She wanted to push the policy as it would define everyone’s roles in the sector and also meet with the present global standard post-COVID. She started the process in April 2024 and got the policy ready for review. She billed this stakeholders review event for September but it was postponed due to some matters arising before she was removed from office. The only challenge is that there have been a lot of red tapes in some of the processes but NESG will always deliver especially as the Minister of Arts, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, who took over from Ade-John is also eager to ensure the national tourism policy takes effect quickly. Strangely enough, very unlike most things Nigerian, Musawa rose to the occasion, which is why the policy is now up for review.”