Culture and Tourism
Confusion in NASS over Bills on Sports University as Senate rejects House Version
By Lateef Taiwo
The Senate and the House of Representatives seem to be in state of confusion over the right piece of legislation to be given final passage for establishment of Federal University of Sports .
While the Senate through its Chairman on Sports and Youths Development , Senator Obinna Ogba ( PDP Ebonyi Central), sponsored a bill to that effect , considered and passed for third reading on December 7, 2021 , the House came up with a different version of the bill and sought for concurrence of the Senate .
Senator Obinna Ogba who sponsored the bill in the Senate , got it read for second time on May 19, 2021 and passed for third reading on 7th December , 2021.
The Senate in the Obinna Ogba sponsored bill , resolved for citing of the University in Nkalagu , Ebonyi State as against Afuze in Edo State proposed in the House of Representatives version .
Trouble for the bill came up when it was to be considered for concurrence by Senate during plenary on Tuesday.
Senator Obinna Ogba who earlier in the 8th National Assembly , sponsored and saw to the passage of the bill before repeating same in the 9th Senate , drew the attention of the Senate President , Ahmad Lawan to the bill already passed for third reading in the Senate .
” Mr President , out of the six bills forwarded to us from the House of Representatives for concurrence , the one listed as number four , seeking for establishment of Federal University of Sports , Afuze in Edo State , runs contrary to the earlier one passed in the Senate .
” This bill as sponsored by me , had been given the required legislative consideration by the Senate with second reading in May 2021 and third reading in December 2021.
” In the version considered and passed by the Senate , NKalagu in Ebonyi State is proposed as location for the University and not Afuze , proposed by the House version .
” It is the House that supposed to concur to what the Senate had earlier passed and not the other way round with this request which should be stepped down “, he said .
Consequently , the Senate President on the strength of Senator Ogba’s submission stepped down the bill from further consideration until required harmonization is carried out between the Senate and the House of Representatives .
Creative Industry
Nigeria, Gambia Pledges Commitment to Improve Tourism Sector
Joel Ajayi
The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering stronger tourism collaboration with the Republic of the Gambia, following a courtesy visit by a four-man delegation from the west African country, led by Hon. Yakuba Darboe, Chairman of the Brikama Area Council, Western Region.
The delegation was received by Mr. Richard Ovie Esewhaye, Director overseeing the Office of the Director General, NTDA, and the Management Staff at the Authority’s headquarters in Abuja.
In his remarks, Hon. Darboe described The Gambia as having a long-standing relationship with Nigeria, often referring to the country as the “37th state of Nigeria” due to the cultural and historical ties between both nations.
He noted that tourism is the backbone of The Gambia’s economy and that the country is in Nigeria to promote its tourism offerings.
He emphasized the importance of the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol, stating that West African countries have much to learn from one another in terms of culture, investment opportunities, and tourism development.
“Nigeria, with its large population, presents a ready market for Gambian tourism, and we urge NTDA to include The Gambia when recommending travel destinations,” he added.
Mr. Esewhaye, in his response, welcomed the delegation and lauded the existing relationship between the NTDA and the Gambia Tourism Board. He recalled past engagements, including meetings with the Gambia Investment Forum, and highlighted the need to move beyond agreements on paper to tangible outcomes.
“Though small in size, The Gambia has made remarkable progress in tourism. Nigeria can learn from their model—particularly in revenue generation, cultural exchange, and capacity building,” he said. He also advocated for the establishment of a technical committee to identify concrete areas of collaboration.
Speaking at the event, Mr. F.O. Anumba, Director of Special Duties, NTDA, raised concerns about the current lack of direct air connectivity between Nigeria and The Gambia. He stressed that establishing direct flights would greatly enhance tourist traffic and improve bilateral tourism relations.
The visit concluded with the presentation of an Outstanding Leadership and Humanitarian Award to Mr. Esewhaye by Hon. Darboe.
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