New act to reposition tourism sector underway

• Tourism Agency Must Function As Business, Coker

The process of amending some of the Acts that established some agencies under the Ministry of Culture is underway. Two months ago, the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism had a public hearing on a Bill for the repeal and enactment of a new Act for National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR). Last week also, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) took its turn for a public hearing for a similar process.
  
The event had the largest turnout of stakeholders, according to the representative of Senate President and Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Sen. Bala Ibn Na’Allah, to underscore the importance of the exercise for the culture sub-sector and especially its Director-General and former Lagos State Commissioner for Culture, Mr. Folarin Coker, and other key stakeholders, who travelled from far-flung places to make input to the Bill.
 
In his opening remarks, Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Sen. Matthew Urhoghide, stated that the Acts establishing some of the agencies in the ministry “make them mere entertainment agencies, while others exist without any law to back their existence. Therefore, we have no choice but to come together and provide for those that do not have and emend those Acts which do not allow such agencies to operate to met with set objectives and to generate revenue, not only for their survival, but to help boost the country’s economy.”

He therefore advised stakeholders in attendance to seize the opportunity to make informed submissions that would be synthesised to make an Act to give the agency the status of an ‘Authority’ for its effective performance its statutory role in repositioning the sector for optimal results.
 
NTDC’s Director-General, Coker was emphatic when he stressed that the time to revamp tourism laws was long overdue for the sector to contribute its share to economic development. Coker, who is bringing his private sector dynamism into a sector bugged down by needless bureaucracy, argued that the agency must act like any forward-looking business concern if it was to make impact in a recessed economy. For Coker, therefore, the ever-willing private operators in the tourism sector were waiting for the needed impetus, which only an agency with an enhanced ‘Authority’ status could wield to give direction and the country its deserved place as the world’s preferred tourism destination.
  
With the proposed Bill that would transform Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation to ‘Nigerian Tourism Development Authority,’ Mr. Coker hopes to hoist the ‘Tour Nigeria’ flag high for all to see the infinite possibilities the sector holds for all stakeholders and foreign tourists as well.
 
In his submission at the public hearing, Coker noted there was too much at stake in the proposed Bill in the repositioning the sector needed to get to its desired destination. In terms of job-creation, business stimulation in the allied sectors of the economy, contribution to national GDP, harnessing of the human and material resources in the sector, a new branding that tourism could give the country, Coker noted that the possibilities were so infinite. But he said a new impetus was needed through the instrumentality of an improved legal framework to lift the sector. He said there was so much locked away in the country’s tourism by the subsisting obsolete laws, which only a new instrument could also unlock for a buoyant sector to emerge.
 
Earlier, Sen. Saraki, said Nigeria’s abundant natural reserves and sites (Yankari, Benin Ancient Wall, Obudu Cattle Ranch, Mambila Plateau, Ogbunike Cave, Aro-Chukwuku Long Juju Slave Route, etc) that could attract tourists from all over the world were grossly under utilised, as they were not properly developed and marketed to attract visitors to earn the country revenues. He commended the stakeholders in the arts and other creative Nigerians for unconsciously branding themselves and the country through their creativity and said they needed help, which only a government agency that is fully empowered could do.

Repositioning the tourism sector, Saraki said, would not add to the socio-economic development, but also help in building bridges of understanding among Nigeria’s diverse people through domestic tourism that makes people to traverse places other than their own. He also commended sponsor of the Bill, Urhoghide, for his foresight in identifying and proposing to empower an area that could help government in generating money to run its business.

SUBMISSIONS came from stakeholders in the sub-sector like hoteliers and the different associations and groups in the tourism sub-sector. They expressed a mixed baggage of hopes and anxiety about some of the provisions of the proposed Bill. The issues of multiple taxation and levies dominated, as well as the number of representation on the board of the proposed Authority. Like every effort at making a change from the familiar, comfortable ‘old’ to the uncertain, untested ‘new’ order, some nerves appeared frayed at what is coming. But Urhoghide was quick to point out the necessity for the public hearing, saying their fears and hopes in the Bill were the needed framework for the formulation of the new Act, which he assured, would only come into effect after due consideration of their aggregated views.

However, what was clear was that Nigeria’s tourism sector is grossly undeveloped and under utilised and urgent intervention, like the one Sen. Urhoghide-led Senate Committee on Arts and Culture was proposing, is a step in the right direction. The many spirited interventions and contributions from the floor was ample indication that stakeholders had long yearned for changes to happen in the sector.
 

Na’Allah also noted that the ministry system has increasingly become an obstacle to creativity and ingenuity, with those at the top stifling innovative and enterprising subordinates under them, who may have better ideas how to turn things around.

“The problem we have is that no matter your intellect, you cannot go above the minister in your ministry; the entire ministry is capped. So, our human capacity that we have for development is capped. We don’t want that. Let the best hand do the job.”
 
Also, Sen. Babajide Omoworare lent his voice to the separation saga thus, “We must push that Culture and Tourism be separated from Information. We’re looking at a cash-cow for the country; we must remove emotion and sentiments from this.”Sen. Samuel Anyanwu was no less angry with Mohammed’s absence, saying it was a disrespect of the Senate committee’s efforts to reposition the tourism sector for the effectiveness performance of its duties.