Creative Industry
Kangiwa Promies Support to ATPN in Capacity Building for Members
Joel Ajayi
The Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Alhaji Nura Kangiwa has expressed the readiness of the Institute to partner with the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN) to rejuvenate the Nigerian domestic tourism industry for improved economic activities within the country.
Alhaji Kangiwa who stated this when officials of the association led by its President, Mr. Hassan Zakari paid him a courtesy visit at the Headquarters of the Institute in Abuja said the Nigerian domestic tourism industry is a big goldmine that has remained untapped in spite of its socio-economic potentials to improve the nation’s economy and raise the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP)
The Director-General who stated the resolve of NIHOTOUR under his watch to ensure quality service delivery in the industry through the training of highly skilled and knowledge-based professionals said the performance of the tourism industry of any country is hinged on the quality of operators of the industry, adding that this explains the high level of operational achievements of such countries as Kenyan, South Africa, The Gambia, etc., in the global tourism market and space.
Kangiwa explained further that Nigeria can achieve much more in both domestic and foreign revenue generation if tourism is accorded the needed patronage by the people, adding that it is about time Nigerians are encouraged to undertake a tour of the huge and vast tourism potentials that the country is blessed with.
He noted that it doesn’t augur well that many Nigerians do not know much about the tourism resources that the country is endowed with, but can boast of visiting tourism sites of other countries, saying that we need to change the narratives for the socio-economic benefits of the country.
Kangiwa who stated the readiness of the Institute to partner and collaborate with ATPN in all aspects of the Courses and training offered by NIHOTOUR to grow the nation’s tourism industry via the training of skilled manpower that will efficiently manage operations within the industry expressed his happiness for the visit as a means of strengthening the cordial bonds between the Institute and the Association.
Earlier in his remarks, President of ATPN, Mr. Hassan Abdullahi Zakari said their visit on the Director-General was informed by the need to collaborate with the Institute for the professional training and upgrade of their members as well as to bring the practical experience of some of their members to bear on the training programs and activities of the Institute.
Mr. Zakari said ATPN is impressed with Alhaji Kangiwa’s appointment as Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s apex public tourism and hospitality training Institute in view of his pedigree and antecedent as a foremost stakeholder and key player in the industry, adding that the Association is confident that Kangiwa will no doubt bring his vast experience to bring in the effective running of the Institute for better service delivery in manpower development, skilled acquisition and capacity building for the industry.
He then pledged the support and cooperation of members of the Association to the Director-General to enable him succeed and achieve the implementation of the core mandate of the Institute for the benefit of the industry and the socio-economic interest of the country
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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