Creative Industry
Nigerians Urged To Promote Culture Of Food Sustainability As NIHOTOUR Hosts 2022 World Gastronomy Day
Joel Ajayi
The culture of promoting Nigerian foods and cuisines for both domestic and international consumption as a means of entrenching sustainability and food security for the country has once again been stressed.
Distinguished Senator (Prof) Nora Ladi Daduut and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism who made the emphasis while declaring opened the 2022 United Nations World Sustainable Gastronomy Day hosted by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in Abuja over the weekend, said this became imperative as another avenue of promoting the nation’s rich food culture to the world as well as growing what we e She noted that food as one of man’s most basic needs must be put in the front burner of our national discourse as a means of not only fighting hunger, but also eradicating poverty and ensuring availability of foods for all at affordable cost, adding that the annual observance of the World Sustainable Gastronomy Day in Nigeria under the auspices of NIHOTOUR is a welcome development that must be promoted, maintained and sustained so that Nigeria will remain vividly visible on the food map of the world.
In her address at the occasion, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr. Ifeoma Adaora Anyanwutaku, represented by Mrs. Patricia Narai, Director, Domestic Tourism in the Ministry, said the Nigerian government is fully committed to the growth and development of the country’s foods and cuisines not only for internal consumption, but for export as another source of foreign income earning because of the fertile land that the country is blessed with to grow enough food and feed the world.
She called on Nigerians, irrespective of their societal status, to take up farming even if it is at subsistence levels to achieve food sustainability and food security that the world is yearning to achieve.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General of NIHOTOUR, Nura Sani Kangiwa stated that because of the rich cultural diversity of Nigerian foods and cuisines, the country will soon be a preferred gastronomy destination in Africa for the global tourism community, noting that because of its multiplier effects as a tourism product, it will empower the youths and eradicate unemployment and the scourge of poverty.
He said NIHOTOUR will continue to intensify efforts at hands-on skill training for youths and practicing professionals in the travel tourism and hospitality industry in order to place the nation’s tourism and hospitality industry in the right position as an economic activity for the socio-economic benefits of the country.
Goodwill messages were presented by members of the Diplomatic community, key players and critical stakeholders in the industry including heads of Ministerial Agencies and Departments who extols the virtues and foresights of NIHOTOUR under the leadership of Nura Kangiwa to up Nigeria’s stake in the growth and development of the country’s travel tourism and hospitality sector with creative ideas and programs.
Side attractions of the event include the exhibition of Nigerian foods, beverages and cuisines from the six geo-political zones of the country by NIHOTOUR, showcasing of foods and cuisines by foreign embassies in Nigeria such as the Peoples Republic of China, Spain, Ethiopia among others, private food vendors and catering outfits as well as the unveiling of the state of the art Mobile Training Kitchen produced by NIHOTOUR to upscale the outreach of its hands-on training in cookery and hospitality management.
Others are the presentation of Certificates and cash prizes to students and schools that participated and won in the Essay Writing competition on Tourism organized by NIHOTOUR as part of activities to mark the 2022 World Sustainable Gastronomy Observance Day.
The 2022 World Sustainable Gastronomy Day instituted by the United Nations is aimed at enlightening the public and promoting the art of gastronomy which is a cultural expression of nations through their food choices, sources of ingredients and types of cuisines which thrives in culturally rich destinations. The occasion had in attendance critical stakeholders in both public and private sector of the travel tourism and hospitality sector 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.
-
Featured7 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured6 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured7 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured7 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Featured7 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
-
Sports4 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News2 years agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
