With the new direction by government to engage and partner the private sector for development across board in the country, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture is wooing credible investors to the tourism and hospitality sector of the Nigerian economy.
Declaring government’s seriousness at providing enabling environment and incentives to would-be investors during a recent facility tour of Intercontinental Hotel Lagos, Edem Duke, minister of Tourism and Culture, said the era of paying lip service to tourism development is gone as government has realised the importance of the tourism sector in national development.
Part of the mandate of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, according to Duke, is to promote investments into Nigeria in tourism, hospitality, entertainment, retail and in other related sectors with a view of making tourism count in the country’s economy.
“As part of efforts at encouraging more investments in entertainment, tourism and hospitality sector, government is now willing to meet prospective investors to discuss their challenges and incentives that will encourage them to invest more in the sector”.
On a practical note, the minister noted that the ministry is looking for opportunity to develop a huge entertainment and tourism destination in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. “Government has given an approval in principle for us to bring investors to the table in order to do a flagship hospitality destination facility-something like a typical Disney or a six-star resort in Abuja. We are hoping that is we bring investors together in a huge and remarkable project that will celebrate Nigeria’s centenary anniversary in 2014”, Duke disclosed.
The project, according to the minister, is open to private sector participation, partnership and investment and will be seating on a 300-hectre of land in Abuja. On completion, he hopes that Nigeria will have something to call its own and that will attract global tourists.
Besides engaging the private sector often and more gainfully now, the minister noted that government is also refocusing the ministries to use their potential to attract investments in their various sectors.
Part of the effort of the ministry at positioning Nigeria as a destination in Africa and also to make tourism count in the country’s economy is strategic events aimed at selling the country positively to other Africans.
By June this year, Duke noted that the ministry of Tourism will be hosting ministers of tourism from 52 African countries to showcase what the country has in stock for the continent and the world at large.
The minister was accompanied on the tour by director generals of three parastatals- Centre for Black African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), National Troupe and National Theatre.
Source from: Businessday Nigeria