The federal government at the weekend said it was set to launch the ‘National Tourism Policy’ in a renewed push to reposition the industry as a central pillar of economic growth, declaring that the long-awaited transformation of the sector is now underway.
Delivering her keynote address at the ‘Destination Nigeria Governors Tourism Conference’ in Abuja, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said the current administration has identified tourism as one of Nigeria’s strongest pathways to economic diversification.
She noted that the National Tourism Policy, which had remained stalled for years, is now before the Cabinet Affairs Office and will be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) within weeks.
The minister, who was represented at the conference by her Chief of Staff, Raphael Obi, stated: “For tourism, you must have heard over time that the only way to diversify Nigeria’s economy is through tourism. And all over the world, tourism remains one of the greatest sources of revenue and development of any country.”
