Culture and Tourism

Confusion in NASS over Bills on Sports University as Senate rejects House Version

Published

4 years ago

November 29, 2022

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 .

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Culture and Tourism

Awakan Marks First Anniversary as NTDA DG, Charts New Course for Tourism Sector

Published

1 week ago

September 24, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

As the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) enters its second year under the leadership of the Director-General, Mr. Ola Awakan, the focus will remain on building partnerships and converting Nigeria’s tourism assets into greater opportunities for investment and accelerated economic growth.

That simple message framed the one year scorecard presented on Wednesday by Mr. Awakan during NTDA Tourism Week 2026 and activities leading to World Tourism Day held in Abuja.

“Nigeria does not lack tourism assets,” Awakan said. “What is required is a system that connects these assets to investments, jobs, technology, enterprise and sustainable economic value.” He added.

Reeling out his scorecard, Awakan observed that over the past year, the Authority concentrated on stakeholder engagement, innovation, investment facilitation, digital transformation, destination marketing, tourism intelligence and institution building.

He explained that efforts have been made towards deeper collaboration with government institutions, traditional institutions, private-sector operators, development partners, financial institutions, professional bodies, communities and international partners.

On the digital front, the NTDA boss said the Authority has advanced NITOUREY, a dedicated tourism streaming platform and content ecosystem meant to take Nigerian destinations, culture and experiences to wider audiences, in alignment with this year’s World Tourism Day theme, “Digital agenda and artificial intelligence to redesign Tourism”.

He also identified Naija Flavour as a flagship project to position Nigerian cuisine as both a tourism asset and a tool for cultural diplomacy, linking tourism to Nollywood, music, fashion, food, festivals and digital creativity.

Speaking further, Awakan reiterated that the NTDA is also digitising tourism enterprise accreditation and regulatory processes while developing a grassroots tourism framework to identify, document and promote assets across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

Internationally, NTDA has expanded ties with tourism institutions, diplomatic missions, development partners and global organisations on technical cooperation, investment, destination marketing, capacity building, cultural diplomacy and market access.

The NTDA helmsman however recognised that challenges remain such as infrastructure gaps, weak tourism data, limited connectivity to some destinations, security concerns in certain locations, regulatory compliance shortfalls and the need for stronger private-sector participation.

Awakan remained positive looking ahead with his priorities including the mobilisation of more tourism investment, accelerating the development of viable assets, expanding domestic and international marketing through deeper digital transformation, strengthening regulation, increasing community participation, building capacity of tourism professionals and deepening partnerships with international tourism institutions.

The DG also announced plans for the expanded Naija Flavour International Tourism Expo to be unveiled in Abuja later this year making it the ultimate platform aimed at drawing international participation, investors and development partners into the sector.

While thanking President Bola Tinubu GCFR for giving him the opportunity to serve, he added that, “One year in office is not the destination. It is a checkpoint,” reiterating that the next phase would require stronger partnerships, greater investment and sustained institutional commitment.

Earlier, the Director of Marketing and Promotion of NTDA Mr. Olufemi Akinyele, said the milestone was being marked as part of NTDA Tourism Week, which began with a road walk and a guided tour of Abuja under the theme “Digital Vibes, Nigerian Pride: Celebrating Tourism, Culture and People.”

Government and industry representatives at the event congratulated the Director General and commended the Authority’s increased engagement with tourism stakeholders.

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