Creative Industry
Sterling Bank Administers 2ndPhase Low-Interest Facility To 2021 Tourism Entrepreneurs In Ekiti
Standing tall to its mission of empowering the low cadre tourism entrepreneurs in Ekiti State with the low-interest facility, Sterling bank on Wednesday 19 May 2021 in Ado Ekiti, credited the accounts of 202 tourism entrepreneurs in Ekiti – State, Nigeria.
The disbursement of the loan was the 2nd phase of the Sterling Bank Tourism Development Fund Initiative, a product planted by Sterling bank which and facilitated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Ekiti State on Tourism Development, Ambassador Wale Ojo – Lanre to make fund available to tourism practitioners to boost their trade and expand their business.
At the disbursement ceremony held at the Conference Hall of Ekiti State Ministry of Women Affairs, Block V, Lot II, Ekiti State Secretariat , Prof Rasaki Ojo – Bakare, Ekiti State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, who was the Special Guest at the event, said that Governor Kayode Fayemi was keenly interested in boosting the economic activities of all stakeholders within the ambit of arts, culture tourism, hence, seeking a way of opening doors of financial platforms where the practitioners can leverage on low interest facilities.
He praised Sterling Bank for its interest in the development of arts, culture and tourism sector and called on the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the loan adding that it would not only shore up the economy of the state but put them in a firmer financial stead to expand their businesses.
He commended the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Ekiti State on Tourism Development, Mr Wale Ojo – Lanre for his innovative tendencies at driving the tourism sector in Ekiti state not only for visibility but economic viability while lauding the synergy between the Office of the SSA Tourism Development, Bureau of Employment, Labour and Productivity being led by Mr Lanre Ogunjobi and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Informal Sector, Mr Oroya Aladeloye on this scheme.
Mr Shina Atilola, Divisional Head of Retail Banking and Customer Banking pointed out that the soft loan scheme to tourism entrepreneurs is strategically conceived by the Managing Director of Sterling Bank, Mr Abubakar Suleiman, to provide a platform where the low cadre tourism entrepreneurs can access fund of low interest.
He said that it was the mission of Sterling bank not only to provide the loan for the beneficiaries but also network their services, craft items and provide to buyers and patrons .
Mr Atilola pointed out that Sterling bank is out to empower and enhance the business and economic endeavours of tourism practitioners and stakeholder noting that the sector encompasses almost everything that a typical traveller will need in a strange land.
He commended Governor Kayode Fayemi for being pro-poor and pro – masses in his drive at placing the economic base of Ekiti on a sustainable pedestal by aligning it with low cadre entrepreneurs and for putting proactive and positive-minded persons attending the tourism sector.
Mr Atilola lauded the efforts of Mr Ojo- Lanre, SSA Tourism Development for his doggedness and resourcefulness by networking with Messer Lanre Ogunjobi, DG, ELP and Oroya Aladeloye, SA, Informal sector at making the scheme working and walking in Ekiti State.
He called on the beneficiaries to be faithful and prompt on repayment schedules as this would accelerate and pave the way quickly for others as the scheme targets 2000 beneficiaries in Ekiti State.
Bola Hamzat and Eniola Eyinafe both beneficiaries of the scheme lauded Governor Kayode Fayemi for networking tourism stakeholders and entrepreneurs in the state to Sterling bank and happy that the soft loan would help in creating employment opportunities in the state.
Mr Ojo – Lanre commended the Sterling Bank team especially Mrs Abiola Adelana , Sterling Bank Tourism Desk for her goal-getting strides at pushing the tourism vision of the bank efficiently to Ekiti State , lauded Mr Gbenga Adegoke, Divisional Head, Product Proposition, and Ado Ekiti Sterling bank Staff being led by Mr Lekan Afuye for the success of the first phase disbursement to 90 beneficiaries and the commencement of the empowerment of 2nd batch for 202 beneficiaries under Sterling Bank Tourism Fund Development Imitative in Ekiti State.
Creative Industry
FG Backs MyCityApp Launch of 100-Day Tourism Calendar to Drive $100bn Economic Growth
Joel Ajayi
The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind the launch of MyCityApp, a Nigerian city discovery and tourism platform designed to aggregate festivals, concerts, cultural events and lifestyle experiences into a single digital calendar.
The platform, which flags off the 100-Day Tourism Calendar, was unveiled on Monday at the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders’ Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos, with the initiative targeting Nigeria’s estimated $100 billion tourism and creative economy opportunity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Media and Publicity Adviser to the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the ministry said the conference was aimed at mobilising public and private stakeholders to transform the September-to-December festive period into jobs, investment and economic growth.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said millions of visitors travel across Nigeria every year to celebrate, reconnect and experience the country’s diverse culture, stressing that the festive season could be deliberately organised and monetised to strengthen tourism’s contribution to the economy.
“This initiative is about moving beyond the traditional concept of a festive season. It is about deliberately organising, packaging, promoting, and monetising one of the most economically active periods in our national calendar,” Musawa said.
She noted that every visitor generates economic activity across several sectors, including aviation, transportation, hospitality, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology, artisans and local communities.
The Minister commended MyCityApp Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Ifeoma Chukwu, for her vision and commitment to the initiative.
She urged state governments, event organisers, tourism operators, hospitality businesses and other stakeholders to list their festivals, concerts, exhibitions, food experiences, cultural celebrations, fashion and sporting events on the national calendar.
Musawa said the platform would enable Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover tourism and entertainment experiences across the country from a single, credible source.
Earlier, Chukwu said Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and creative sector provided enormous opportunities for tourism-driven economic growth.
She cited the contributions of tourism to the economies of countries such as Spain, France and the United States, arguing that Nigeria could equally build a $100 billion tourism economy.
Also present were Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka; Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugochi Madueke; NCAC Director-General, Obi Asika; National Gallery of Art Director-General, Ahmed Sodangi; ARCON Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo; and MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr Karl Toriola.
MyLagosApp and MyCityApp will serve as the digital engines of the calendar, distributing events through a 360-degree media ecosystem to audiences in Nigeria and the diaspora.
Stakeholders were encouraged to upload their events on MyCityApp to participate in the national tourism calendar urging them to upload events on http://www.MyCityApp.io.
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