WORLD TOURISM DAY 2016: TOURISM IS THE NEW OIL - MINISTER
Despite the current economic recession, Nigeria's future is bright, as
the country diversifies its economy away from oil, the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in Lagos on
Tuesday.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 2016 World Tourism Day in Eko
Atlantic, the city that is being built on reclaimed land on the Bar
Beach, the Minister said there is no better testimony to Nigeria's
bright economic future than the new city.
''It takes an investor to have a great confidence in any economy
before putting hundreds of millions of dollars into a city like this.
Those who can see the bright stars in our horizon, beyond this
temporary cloud of difficulties, are investing in the country even as
we speak,'' he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said that as the Federal Government works day and
night to pull Nigeria out of recession and put the country's economy
on the path of sustainable growth, ''it is becoming increasingly
clear, like President Muhammadu Buhari has admonished, that we must
think out of the box.
''We must find other sustainable means of earning foreign exchange
outside of oil, to grow our country's GDP and create jobs for our
people. Agriculture and mining are viable options, but tourism is the
low hanging fruit in this regard, and we must not hesitate to pluck
it.''
He said the choice of Eko Atlantic City as the venue of the 2016 World
Tourism Day celebration is significant, adding: ''While I will like to
reiterate Nigeria's readiness to explore and exploit tourism for the
benefit of its economy, I can confidently add that Eko Atlantic City
has what it takes to drive tourism in Nigeria. And this is just as
well, because while the role of the government will be to provide the
enabling environment, the private sector will drive the growth of
tourism''.
The Minister called Eko Atlantic City ''a tourist haven'' which has
what it takes to drive tourism in Nigeria
''The city will boast of 450,000 residents and 300,000 commuters
(daily), which is a boon for the myriad of businesses to be located in
the city. In addition, it will have a registered Free Economic Zone to
encourage economic activities.As you are also aware, shopping malls
attract tourists the way bees are attracted to honey. The shopping
mall here in Eko Atlantic will be the largest of its kind in
Sub-Saharan Africa. The 10 million square metres of space in the city
will also boast of an impressive retail layout for shopping, vast
amenities for entertainment, such as food courts, cinemas and
playgrounds, an ample parking space and a canal that can be used for
water transportation and water sports.
''Nigerians who are looking for relaxation spots and exquisite
shopping malls will no longer need to jet to Dubai and similar
destinations, because Eko Atlantic City will be a better destination
than Dubai. This is not a joke! Whereas you can only comfortably soak
in the sights and sounds of Dubai for a maximum of four months every
year due to the prevailing inclement weather there, Eko Atlantic City
offers - in addition to the massive shopping mall - 365 days of
sunshine and clement weather. This is an added incentive for foreign
tourists. In short, the city will have everything you need for tourism
to thrive: security, modern infrastructure, good weather,
uninterrupted power supply, potable water supply, etc,'' he said.
Addressing the theme of this year's World Tourism Day celebration -
which is TOURISM FOR ALL: PROMOTING UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY, Alhaji
Mohammed said Eko Atlantic City that is shaping up as one of Nigeria's
top tourist destinations would be accessible all: the rich and the
poor, the young and the old as well as men and women.
Quoting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who said everyone has the
right to access leisure and tourism services on an equal basis, the
Minister said the new city would also not discriminate against the
aged and the physically challenged.
He appealed to investors to cash in on the Federal Government's
massive investment in infrastructural development to help turn the
country's numerous tourist sites to tourist attractions.
Earlier, the management of Eko Atlantic made a video presentation of
the budding city to the Minister, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State,
Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule (who stood in for Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode), their entourage and the media, after which they were all
taken on a guided tour of the city, whose first resident is due to
move in next month,
According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World
Tourism Day has been held annually on Sept. 27th for the last quarter
of a century, to foster awareness of the importance of tourism and its
social, cultural, political and economic impact.
Segun Adeyemi
SA to Hon Minister of Information and Culture
Lagos
Sept. 27th 2016
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