By Titilayo Iwalewa
A tourism expert, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, has implored the Federal Government to create Ministry of Tourism to boost the country’s internally-generated revenue.
Ojo-Lanre, who made the call while speaking with our correspondent in Ibadan, described tourism as too important to be lumped with other sectors, presently as Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.
Ojo-Lanre, a foremost tourism journalist and former Director-General, Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture, was, in 2021, appointed Team Leader and Chief Coordinator in Nigeria by Federation of World Cultural and Arts Society, Singapore.
According to him, Nigeria has great tourism potentials that should be developed by both the federal and state governments to earn more income.
“President Bola Tinubu should start a new era in tourism through the establishment of a new Ministry of Tourism, Creative Arts and Culture.
“The new ministry will add value to his government and the economy, as different people, trades and businesses tend to spring up and grow accordingly.
“It is sad that Nigeria is not developing tourism, as 98.5 per cent of all tourism assets are either not developed or under-developed.
“Although tourism is private sector-driven, the development of the framework is for government to oversee,” he said.
Ojo-Lanre said that government should not consider tourism as a worthless sector that should be given to individuals to manage as means of ‘settling’ political allies.
“It is a viable sector requiring best of hands and brains to be put in charge,” he said.
Speaking on the security challenges currently bedeviling the country which might not augur well for tourism, Ojo-Lanre said such challenges were surmountable, if only tourism could be considered as priceless.
According to him, the oil and gas sector is the most protected because of the value attached to it as the main income earning source for the nation.
“Should tourism be so acknowledged as so important a source of income, enough security structure will be put in place to make tourists and tourism business adequately secured,” he said.