By Francis Ogwo
Tourism stakeholders in Nigeria have accused the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed of showing favoritism for the creative industry against the tourism sector despite the huge role it plays in the nation’s revenue.
In a recent report in the Nation Newspapers, the Chairman Board of Trustees of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria(FTAN), Chief Samuel Alabi, lamented that the Federal Government, through the supervisory Ministry of Information and Culture has refused to carry private sector investors in Hospitality and Tourism industry practitioners along, in the scheme of things.
“Since the time of ex-Tourism Minister Edem Duke, you will observe that the creative industry has been given an edge in the Ministry of Information and Culture. The Nigeria Institute of Hotel and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Board of Trustees Chairman then, was an artist.
“So, you will see the trend of events, you will see that the Ministry is edging towards giving more attention to the creative industry in lieu of the core tourism industry. It is the same mistake that occurred when the then President Goodluck Jonathan granted intervention funds or grant to the creative industry. So, because of that fund, the successive Ministers of Tourism always align with that.” Alabi added.
Speaking further, he said; “I cannot understand the reason for making a person from the creative industry, in charge of tourism. I see no reason for it; those that are supposed to lead the committee are now the backbenchers.”
The President of FTAN President, Alhaji Saleh Rabo, in a separate interview, had frowned at the Ministry of Information and Culture on how it has feigned ignorance on the current plight of the Hospitality and Tourism industry since the pandemic broke out.
“We wrote a position paper on the impact of the COVID-19 on the Hospitality and Tourism industry.” He said.
“We were expecting them to call us and sit down with us because they know the kind of contribution we make to the GDP of the country and in terms of employment, the number of people the Hospitality and Tourism industry employs,” he added.
“But unfortunately, yesterday, we just saw a list of the creative industry committee. As far as I am concerned, that is the creative industry committee, not the Tourism industry committee. There is nobody from the Tourism industry. We were just mentioned by the side that we were expected to bring in our nomination.”
“If you are creating an industry that has to do with the Tourism industry, are you not expected to make the tourism practitioners, the majority members of that particular committee? That was not done.”
“We remember last week when the Minister was asked a question about tourism during the press briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, he was speaking on the creative industry. I think something is wrong. The best way to achieve success and to be able to move forward is for them to call us.”
“We are the drivers of the Tourism industry. The government sets the environment for us to work well, but if they don’t call us for us to discuss, I don’t think we can achieve anything. As it is now, they are not inviting us; they are not telling us anything. I went to see the Minister twice.” He stated.
Alhaji Rabo appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria to include domestic Tourism and Hospitality businesses and operators in the planned N500 billion Covid-19 intervention fund and other proposed palliative measures.
“The inclusion of Nigeria’s Hospitality and Tourism industry in the Federal Government’s Covid-19 economic stimulus package and palliative measures is expedient and justified.” he added.
It would be recalled that the ban on flights and the closure of airports to contain the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic had led to a halt in activities of the tourism sector.
This is because of its reliance on the travels, aviation and hospitality sectors to function.
So may funspots have been deserted while the players sit back to count losses in revenue running into millions of dollars.
Experts say its gradual return to normalcy after the pandemic would involve a lot of support from the Federal Government.
