Creative Industry
NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Event, Panacea to Promoting Nigerian Cuisines For Export-FTAN
NIHOTOUR: The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Chief Samuel Alabi has applauded the observance of the annual World Sustainable Gastronomy Day by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in the country as a sure way of promoting Nigerian array of exquisite cuisines for export to the global community.
Chief Alabi who stated this in an interview he granted Africa Travel Herald was a Special Guest and recipient of NIHOTOUR’s Fellowship Award at the just concluded 2022 World Sustainable Gastronomy Day hosted by the Institute in Abuja, noted that the event was unprecedented in the history of the industry, and in particular, the hospitality sector.
He said the food exhibition, couple with the skill acquisition programs embarked upon by NIHOTOUR across the country, is empowering the youths to export not only the skills they acquire, but the Nigerian cuisines in the form of establishing Nigerian Kitchen abroad.
The FTAN BOT Chairman, said he was amazed at the varieties of Nigerian dishes displayed at the exhibition booths of the six geo-political zones of the country packaged by NIHOTOUR, including the South West Zone where he came from, in his words; ‘I don’t know that we have varieties of food even from the South West that am from, I found out that there are cuisines that I have never seen before, I tasted them and they were wonderful.”
He concluded that the gastronomy day exercise was a worthwhile venture that government must support and promote it annually.
Speaking further to the Africa Travel Herald, he commended the foresight of the Director General of NIHOTOUR, Nura Sani Kangiwa, who, since inception as Chief Executive Officer of the Institute, came up with brilliant ideas and innovations that are putting the sector in remarkable limelight, adding that this is what you get when you put professionals in the right leadership position to head, because Kangiwa is a professional and active key player in the industry, saying ‘this is putting a round peg in a round hole’.
He said the remarkable successes and achievements of Nura Kangiwa as Director General of NIHOTOUR within the short period of his assumption has proved and made a case for the appointment of industry practitioners into key positions in the public sector, including the tourism and hospitality industry.
According to Chief Alabi, he said he was impressed with lots of things at the gastronomy day event, ‘The attendance of foreign embassies was very amazing.
The creative and ingenuity of the Mobile Kitchen was another awesome sight to behold; and above of all, the manner and way the Director General conducted himself, moving about his staff and guests to ensure prompt and orderliness with a degree of humility, noting that other CEOs would have sat bossily and watch things unfold just anyhow. ‘I must say am impressive and give kudos to NIHOTOUR to have made this happened
Creative Industry
Musawa Highlights Art and Culture as Drivers of Public Sector Excellence at Legislative Mentorship Session
Joel Ajayi
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, Esq., has emphasized the importance of integrating art and culture into public-sector excellence in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the SA Media & Publicity, Office of the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy Nneka Ikem Anibeze, Phd.
Musawa made this known while addressing trainees at the 4th Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI), held at the National Institute For Legislative and Democratic Studies, Abuja on Thursday.
Themed ‘Building the next generation of Public Sector Leaders’, Minister Musawa highlighted art and culture as essential tools for national cohesion and identity, economic development and job creation, innovation and civic engagement, sustainable development, and projecting Nigeria’s soft power and global identity.
She noted that Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage is a unifying force that binds different ethnicities and elaborated on how Art and Culture is key to public-sector excellence in Nigeria.
“First, embracing and promoting art and culture helps to forge national cohesion and shared identity among Nigeria’s diverse populations. Integrating culture into public policy and governance transforms the creative and cultural sectors into engines of economic development, job creation and diversification. Cultural industries including crafts, music, film, design, heritage tourism can generate livelihoods, attract investment, expand exports, and reduce overreliance on a narrow set of economic activities.
“A society that values creativity and cultural expression tends to produce more resourceful citizens, fosters cross-cultural dialogue, and encourages public servants to be more adaptive, empathetic, and culturally aware while prioritizing culture and creative economy in public policy through frameworks, institutions, and infrastructure, demonstrates long-term vision and commitment to sustainable development,” Musawa said.
The Minister called for supportive policies, enabling legislation, and sustained commitment to fulfill this vision, including laws that protect intellectual property, incentivize investment in creative infrastructure, and integrate arts and culture into education and community development.
“Embedding art and culture at the heart of governance and public-sector planning is not a luxury, it is a necessity. It builds unity, drives economic growth, fosters innovation, strengthens institutions, and ensures that development respects and reflects the soul of the nation,” she emphasized.
Musawa thanked the founder of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI), Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his inspiring vision and unwavering commitment to cultivating Nigeria’s future public-service leaders.
Other speakers at the Legislative Mentorship Initiative include the Director General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization Aisha Augie, Nigerian photo-journalist and documentary photographer Bayo Omoboriowo, Amb. Dapo Oyewole, Secretary-General Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures amongst others.
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