Nigeria and the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on Friday in
Madrid, Spain, signed an agreement on the hosting of the 61st UNWTO
Commission for Africa (UNWTO CAF) Meeting 4-6 June 2018 in Abuja.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, signed
for the Nigerian Government while UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab
Pololikashvili signed for the global tourism body at a ceremony at the
UNWTO Headquarters in the Spanish capital.
The agreement, the signing of which was witnessed by the Nigerian
Ambassador to Spain, Her Excellency Susan Aderonke Folarin, among
others, contained the conditions for organizing the meeting as well as
other details.
Speaking at the signing, the Minister said the Nigerian Government
plans to use the opportunity of hosting the meeting to showcase the
best of Nigeria to the world, saying Nigeria has comparative advantage
and has taken the world by storm in the area of music, movies, theatre
and other aspects of the Creative Industry.
He thanked the UNWTO and its member states for their confidence in
giving Nigeria the hosting right for the meeting, and assured that the
country would host a top class event.
”Nigeria does not take the confidence for granted and will not
disappoint. In this regard, the meeting’s main organizing committee,
as well as the sub-committees, are leaving no stone unturned to stage
a highly-successful meeting.
”All delegates coming to Nigeria for the meeting are assured of
Nigeria’s legendary warm hospitality and an exposition of the
country’s sight and sound. We will showcase the best of our
entertainment industry that has taken the world by storm,” Alhaji
Mohammed assured.
The Minister said the hosting of the meeting is coming at a time that
Nigeria has become a top destination for investors, especially with
the Nigerian stocks having risen 12% this year, the highest globally,
and the fact that Nigeria has moved up 24 places on the World Bank’s
Ease of Doing Business ranking, earning a place on the List of Top 10
in the world.
He also said Nigeria has started implementing visa on arrival for a
certain category of foreign visitors, a development that he assured
will impact positively on the country’s tourism sector.
Welcoming the Minister earlier, the UNWTO Secretary-General said the
organization would assist Nigeria to develop and showcase its tourist
attractions.
”We are glad we are coming to Nigeria in the summer. It is a good
opportunity to showcase Nigeria,” he said, while urging the Minister
to help identify Nigerian celebrities who can be appointed as the
UNWTO’s ambassadors of tourism.
The delegations of the Minister and the Secretary-General later met to
review the agenda of the 61st CAF Meeting, the UNWTO’s forthcoming
Technical Support Mission to Nigeria and other issues related to
tourism development in Nigeria.
