How Nigeria could develop tourism to surpass oil economy – Ekiti Tourism DG, Ojo-Lanre
PanNigerianNews
4 min read
By Sunday Adepoju
The Director-General, Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre, has decried the Nigerian governments’ inability to fully maximise the potentials of tourism as an alternative source of income for the country’s economy.
Barrister Ojo-Lanre also dwelled on the paradigm shift experience of many countries of the world and how such shift saved their economies from being mono-focal to economic prosperity.
Ojo-Lanre, a journalist, lawyer, tourism chief with over 30 years of experience in tourism practice, stated this, on Saturday, while featuring on the Nigerian Television Authority’s (NTA) network programme, “Insight” themed “Unlocking tourism potentials in Nigeria” as monitored by PANNIGERIAN NEWS.COM.
He expressed concerns that the Nigeria has not looked into the prospects of tourism, stressing that everything about Nigeria is tourism.
He highlighted, among others, World Birds Conference in Yobe State, Ijele Masquerade in the East as the most beautiful masquerade in the world, Osun Osogbo, Ojude Oba, among other geographical, medical, historical sites.
“Everything about Nigeria is tourism. Our coastal land is well over 800 kilometers. Each of our forest regions has its own unique flora and fauna that many countries are deprived of. But Nigeria has them in multiplicity.
“The most beautiful masquerade in the world, Ijele, is from the Eastern Nigeria. The only place where all birds of the world have their conference (you may not believe) is in Yobe State. The only place where natural water/natural spring, hot and cold water, maintaining their sequence is in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
“Nigeria is a bundle of tourism. In Lagos State, there are over 300 tourism sites, including heritage, ecotourism, medical tourism and geographical tourism,” he said.
Ojo-Lanre, however, maintained that the potentials have not been advantageous because the Federal Government, among others, never developed serious political will to develop tourism and look into its potentials, saying “Ghana does not have up to 15 tourism sites. But it is ranked in the corridor of international tourism more than Nigeria. It is not their fault; the fault lies in us.”
The former staff of Nigeria Tribune disclosed that the economic benefit of tourism is bigger, higher and sustainable more than the economic benefit of fuel/oil, adding “It is tourism that fuels the oil company. If people stop to travel today, the oil company will collapse.
“So, until we start to plan for tourism, it will not develop. In Nigeria, we are just living in the dark, regarding tourism. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was the first Head of State who believed that tourism could do something in Nigeria. He encouraged all the 19 states to develop tourist sites in their areas. If Nigeria could boast of 19 international tourist sites, you know what Nigeria will be reaping from those sites today.
“As an expert in the filed for over 30 years, the only economy that Nigeria can rely on is tourism. It should be elevated as an alternate source of income. That is the only time we can enjoy tourism. In the 80s, there was oil boom. Nigeria produces oil. I went to Malaysia, a country of 29 million people. Malaysia produces oil. Everything in Malaysia collapsed because their budget was predicated on crude oil pricing. You know when crude oil ceases, every country that relies on crude will ‘catch cold’.
“So, Malaysia was in a mess. After some time, Malaysia discovered that if she didn’t develop other sites, she would be perpetually at the mercy of the crude oil. She ensured that any profit she was making from foreign exchange of crude oil was diverted to tourism and manufacturing sectors.
“In Nigeria, we are mono-focal on crude oil. Other countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, even, Ghana developed their tourism sites as an alternative. Tourism is the third largest contributor of natural wealth to Malaysia, Paris, even, United States.
“But in Nigeria, our tourism sites are weeping for development. Imagine if a tourism site is located in your village, the government will be forced to develop road to that village. People in that village will be employed. A lot of people will be coming there. They’ll rent apartments.”
He identified lack of political will, legal framework, policy framework and development masterplan impediments that are locking the potentials of tourism for economic prosperity in Nigeria.
“There is no legal framework; there is no policy framework and tourism development masterplan. That is why we have not been able to benefit from tourism. Do you know that the only place where all the birds of the world have their conference is in Yobe State, Nigeria. That happens every September to October. Osun Osogbo is an international festival; Ijele masquerade is there. To mention just a few.
He recounted that he approached the National Assembly, 8th Senate, on the need to have a separate, stand-alone ministry of tourism.
