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.
Creative Industry
NTDA Strengthens Tourism Growth Through Partnership with African Travel Commission (ATC)
Joel Ajayi
The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has taken a significant step toward advancing tourism development across the country by partnering with the African Travel Commission (ATC).
This strategic alliance was re-echoed during a recent meeting at the NTDA Headquarters in Abuja where ATC met with the Director Overseeing the Office of Director-General, Mr. Richard Ovie Esewhaye to discuss a unified approach aimed at boosting tourism.
The ATC delegation was Led by Dr. Lucky George, Executive Director of the ATC, who espoused the need to leverage our collective strengths to promote sustainable tourism growth and cultural exchange within Nigeria and indeed Africa.
In his response, the Director Overseeing the Office of Director-General observed that tourism development has been a cliche for a long time in Nigeria with past administrations paying lip service to the sector. He expressed commitment to effecting a paradigm shift towards practical tourism growth under the present administration.
As the NTDA and ATC plan to jointly develop campaigns that highlight the rich cultural heritage and emerging travel experience of Nigerians and Africans, a major stakeholder that will now be engaged is the travel press.
This was re-emphasised during the session with both parties in agreement that the essence was to pool resources and expertise in order to attract a broader international audience that will key into the new impetus engineered by NTDA and ATC.
In his closing statement, Mr. Esewhaye underscored the potential for this collaboration to create jobs and enhance infrastructure, stating, “This partnership is a testament to our shared vision of transforming Nigeria and Africa’s tourism landscape.”
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