Creative Industry

FG To Accord Tourism Prime Position In Its Post Covid-19 Economic Plans

Published

5 years ago

December 15, 2020

Olayinka Elebute

The President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government has reiterated its resolve to ensure that tourism is given a prime place in the economic plans of the administration to revitalize the economy in the post-covid-19 economic plan agenda for sustainable growth.

This was the submission made by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha in an address to declare the 2020 and third edition of the Annual Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo opened at the Abuja International Conference Centre.

Mr. Boss Mustapha who was represented at the occasion by Mr. Olakunle Fasina- Director Public Affairs-Bilateral Relations of the Secretary to Federal Government stated that the annual summit and expo with the theme Repositioning Tourism and Transportation Connectivity and Mobility to Revitalize the Economy couldn’t have come at a better time than now when the world economy has come under the greatest threat of our time occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic that has dealt a deadly blow on all sectors of the global economy with transportation, hospitality, and tourism sub-sectors been the hardest hit.

He expressed the happiness of the federal government for the positive spirit the annual summit and expo has breathed and injected into the tourism transportation sector in particular and the national economy as a whole, noting that the synergy created by the event has continuously forged between government and the private sector a healthy development in the efforts by the present administration to support and carry the private sector along in repositioning the national economy through a robust Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation further observed that the connectivity brought by road transport which is at the heart of tourism development provides substantial economic benefits for all involved in the tourism value chain saying that it is against this backdrop that the Tourism Transport Summit and Expo will further strengthen the links between both sectors and maximize their impacts on employment, inclusive growth and sustainable development as a way of overcoming the negative impacts and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy.

Earlier in his welcome address, National President of the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN), and Chairman, Inter-ministerial Organizing Committee (IOC) of the event, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo stated that the objective of the annual summit and expo is to deepen the connectivity and interplay between Tourism and Transportation as well as provide a platform to explore the interdependency among MDAs and private corporate organizations whose functions and activities have an either direct or indirect correlation to operations in the travel tourism and transportations industries for maximum inclusive growth and sustainable development of the Nigerian economy.

Chief Odusanwo further emphasized his appeal for Nigeria to explore all available avenues for the country to benefit from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) initiative to boost the tourism industry through enhanced cooperation between the sector and air transport, saying that ICAO is a specialized agency of the UN that codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport which sees to the safe and orderly growth of global air transport.

He stated that the symbiotic relationship between aviation and tourism is reflected at the global level in the respective mandates of ICAO and UNWTO, explaining that while ICAO sets standards and policies for aviation safety, security, efficiency, environmental protection and economic development of air transport the UNWTO promotes responsible sustainable and universally accessible tourism as a driver of economic growth and sustainable development.

Goodwill messages were received from several MDAs and the operators of the organized private sector who identified the annual event as a formidable platform to explore and deepen the synergy between tourism and transportation and their resolve to support and collaborate with the organizers for the successful hosting of the event annually.

Dignitaries at the event were conducted round exhibitors’ stands and pavilions who brought on display and showcasing several innovative products and improved marketing strategies in both the tourism and transportation sectors.

At the technical and plenary sessions, a total of fourteen (14) papers were delivered by experts and professionals both from the operational and academic sides which centred on the main theme of the Summit and Expo which is Repositioning Tourism and Transportation Connectivity and Mobility to Revitalize the Economy divided into the following sub-themes: *Repositioning the Nation’s Maritime Industry for Sustainable Growth and Improved Contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); *Enhancing Traveler’s Safety and Security in a Globalized Economy; *Tourism and Transportation Interdependency: Best Practices and Impact; and *Maintaining Resilient Infrastructure and Institution for Sustainable Transportation and Tourism Development

Others are; *Capacity Building and the Professionalism of the Tourism and Transportation Industry; *Transportation Intermodal Connectivity in Africa- Dealing with the Barrier; *Blue Economy: Panacea to Sustainable Development of the Transportation and Tourism Industry in Nigeria and *Virtual Business Imperative: Values, Infrastructural Challenges, and Threat Post Covid-19.

The event was rounded up with Membership induction and a Gala Night that saw in attendance de crème de la crème of the tourism and transportation sectors of the country in both public and private sectors.

The fourth edition of the Annual National Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo is slated to hold from Monday 26th to Tuesday 27th April 2021.

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Creative Industry

THANK YOU MOM-Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa

Published

3 days ago

October 29, 2025

The Gleamer

Written by Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa

…Every day I get to celebrate and honor being a mother, and honor my mother. Joining grateful children and mothers around the world to give gratitude and celebrate the special gift of motherhood is a priviledge.

I celebrate the blessing of motherhood every second of the day because it is the ultimate gift. I celebrate being a mother and having the most special mother every moment and want to give a loving shout out to my mother.

Anyone who knows my mother, Hajia Ladi Binta Musawa (nee Yusuf Gurshe Rafindadi), will be aware of what a difficult task it is for me to attempt to find the words to describe her. A role model to all who know and love her, my mother lives her life with great humility. Her selflessness and kindness to others knows no bounds. She is a fantastic person who has been blessed with a great sense of humor, a kind nature, and an unassuming ability to make all those around her feel special and loved.

To have the blessing of being able to call Hajia Ladi, ‘Mom’ and Alhaji Musa ‘Dad’ is, perhaps, the greatest fortune of my life. Continuously, I learn and grow from the pure example set by them.

The energy my Mom pumps into the love and caring she displays to all those around her and beyond is boundless. She continues to be a source of inspiration to so many that she meets by her unselfishness, dedication and Faith in Allah. She unceasingly encourages her children, family, friends, neighbors and associates to work hard at life but always to put Allah first. Her faith cradles her and her loved ones even during the times when life throws curve-balls. The courage she always shows in the face of adversity and her inner strength are truly what great people are made of. She is a true blessing.

My greatest wish for my Mom, as I watch her dedicate her life to encouraging, supporting, educating, protecting, helping, loving, and caring for all those she comes in contact with on a daily basis, is for her to be able to see herself the way the World sees her; which is as a blessing, an incredibly special and amazing person. A woman who is indeed a pure soul with a pure heart, a remarkable role model and a woman with great faith.

Hajia Ladi Binta Musawa is a shining gem and an angel. She has incredibly strong values. If ever there was a portrait of a Godly mother, it is she. I am convinced that anything that is pure and good in me, Allah has planted it in me directly from my Mom and Dad.

My Mom is big on teaching. On a daily basis, she teaches me to live my life, make my decisions and conduct myself as if I am teaching my children and the next generation. One of her favorite quotes to me is one of Ghandi’s. “Hannatu, always be the change you want to see in the world…” she would say. This quote consistently reverberates in my head and sticks with me wherever I go. It is exactly how Mom lives her life.

Some of the greatest values I try to uphold; defending my honor religiously, keeping integrity, trying to do right, caring for the downtrodden, were instilled in me by Mom. Her lessons and example influence every good part of my life and positive thought process.

Mom teaches me the difference between right and wrong and urges me to constantly try to make good choices. She teaches me to be faithful to myself, to my family, to my culture, to my community, to my calling, to people around me, to my identity, to my bloodline, to my Father’s name, to Nigeria and especially to Allah. She encourages me to be more focused and strive and finish things that I start. She always urges me to try as best as I can to keep my word and learn to accept and take correction. And she always worries and counsels me about tempering the fiery temper I inherited from my equally incredible late Dad.

Mom teaches me that the things I should treasure should never be made with human hands. She teaches me that it is through giving that I will be filled and fulfilled. She teaches me that originality feeds the soul and energizes the mind. She teaches me to exercise greater patience and always try to endure. She teaches me the difference between right and wrong. She teaches me not to use my power to hurt others. She teaches me to always strive to give more than I receive. This is an example that she lives with daily. Throughout her life she has always been known to help people, even at her own expense. It is the way she lives, even now. She simply loves being there for others and making their lives easier. It is the times that she helps people that you can see the greatest joy in her eyes.

As a little girl, she often took me and my siblings to orphanages, shelters and hospitals so we could see people who were suffering; so we could develop a desire to help people who are suffering. She made us touch and feed lepers in the days when people shunned them. She worries for everyone more than she worries about herself. She tries to do all she can to fix other people’s problems. Her charity was to everyone she interacted with, anyone who needed her and that was what made people gravitate towards her. That is the kind of woman my Mom is.

For the duration of my life I will dedicate every morsel of who I am, everything I have achieved and all that I have ever done good and right to my Mom and Dad. I thank them deeply for loving me so much and being the brightest light in my life. I thank them for showing me what I should be and teaching me how to be free and how to dream. I thank them for being the ultimate example of forgiveness, compassion, friendship, kindness, strength, generosity, honesty, elegance, beauty, resilience, selflessness, care, hope and love. I thank Mom for telling me she loved me every single day of my life. Even when we were not together, she finds a way of getting the message across to me, even if it was just through her energy.

Mom is my rock, my anchor; my strong, beautiful, vibrant angel; my heart and my precious gift from Allah. I am beyond proud of her and everything she is. From the time I was a little girl, Mom and Dad have always been all I have ever needed in my life. My submission to the Almighty comes first beyond everything else and my dedication to Mom and the memory of my Dad I draw through that faith. I truly have exceptional parents. My siblings and I truly won the loterry as far as parents go! We thank The Almighty with everything that we have for the grace and gift he has given us in the form of parents.

…Every day I get to celebrate and honor being a mother, and honor my mother. Joining grateful children and mothers around the world to give gratitude and celebrate the special gift of motherhood is a priviledge. I want to encourage everyone to celebrate and pray for their Mom every single day whether she is living or passed.

“Hajia Ladi Binta Musawa, I wanted to tell the world about the essence of you, my salute to you so they can celebrate with me on my great blessing of you, so they can celebrate their mothers too. You impact the world around you more than you realize. I love you on your good days and on your bad days. I see your sacrifice and struggle day after day. You are not just a mother, you are a role model and an advocate My heart will always belong to you and I want to say “May Allah always be with you.” May we witness many more days together by Allah’s special grace. I LOVE YOU MOM… I THANK YOU!”

Written by Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa

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