By Frank Meke.
First it is important to highlight some background to the commentary on the above subject matter.
November, last year and a day after Nigeria hosted the 35th edition of National Festival of Arts and Culture (Eko Nafest) in lagos, Nigeria’s fire spitting but very gregarious Minister of Information and Culture, Mr lai Mohammed, gathered his friends and fellow colleagues in charge of Tourism, to United Nations World Tourism Organisation flaged outing in same lagos.
There was no organised private sector presence. There was anger in the land and the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, responded with a boycott. Yes, there were many people who claimed to be Jews and in words of Apostle Paul, were never Jews and so a clever but failed attempt to disflower the ftan unprecedented daring against the “Super” Minister and his tale beares, failed.
Records set that governance is not about government people or those in government but about meeting up and providing for the needs and growth of the people ( in tourism), was established by ftan leadership.
Typically, the Unwto conference was a government soap box event , an orchestra of unending half-hearted and deceptive conundrums. There were no light in the tunnels of the industry growth. it was animated celebration of government officials and their day of effusive dance to the banks.
Indeed, many of them wore masks to the event, and to confound the Madrid tourism gang, long chairs for well organised soldiers of the game of deception were put near the podium.
The event centre, now owned by Bankers Committee, was a showpiece of bricks and mortars. The National Theatre is still a controversy , even at its supposed renaming as Entertainment city.
Curtains drawn and show ended. We went away in pains and wonderment, some smiled home, sweet home backed by pecuniary assurances.
How much that Jamboree cost us as a nation was never in public space. Some of us were given Greek gifts and consequently closed the eyes to serious post conference evaluation mechanism.
Here in Nigeria, government certificate or award is magic and easily dangled to many willing to sell their dignity and pride. That was indeed clearly established and trust our government leaders, scene two, to climax the process was in the offing.
That is the Madrid assembly. Minister lai Mohammed, Ntdc DG and his counter part at NIHOTOUR, went early January to see the white tourism wizards in Madrid. We did get the hint and wondered what Nigeria’s first eleven tourism team, were in the Spanish capital for. The Spanish league is not full glare yet and none in our team, were known football players even as youths .
We know Minister is good at words. He can cook soups with words and even lucifer, would tremble. Ntdc DG, Foluronsho Coker, is an entertainment “guru”. His Nigeria flavour, was made for Abuja only. So what is going on?.
Now that the team, were back, the Minister according to NewsDirect, an Abuja based newspaper, invited the press and gave the reasons for team Nigeria visit to the headquarters of Tourism Synagogue in Madrid, Spain.
I will sum for those who did not read the report. First, the team was in Madrid to evaluate and discuss post Unwto conference in Nigeria, so disclosed the minister, sought approval of the the global tourism agency to host Gastronomy festival in May 2023, got assurances of a unwto Tourism Academy, and finally received a plea( wonderful) from Unwto to lead a response to the presence of a Single African Air Transport market, geared towards effective air transport connectivity across the continent.
Now, we ask, did Nigeria government tourism Think Tank ever organised any indigenous post review of the conference before the rush to Spain? Since, according to the Minister, the private sector was mentioned as beneficiary of Unwto Tourism Academy, wl where, was the inputs by these invisible and nameless private sectors players captured?
Where will the Tourism Academy be domiciled? Is it going to have both physical and virtual ecosystem? . What role would National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, play in this whole arrangement as the Institute currently headlines government response to bridging tourism and hospitality vocational training and intervention?
On the Gastronomy festival, it’s absolutely confusing to seek Unwto approval to host such an event close to the month of change of government in Nigeria and even more tellingly mysterious, is an event which nihotour held in Nigeria last year with a motorised kitchen to evangelise the process, which now requires the Madrid rubber stamp? .
Then enters another poser, an ntdc under Foluronsho Coker, which could make nothing out of a “Nigerian flavour” showpiece, now to herald the Unwto ” approved Gastronomy festival.? Something is definitely missing here, fishy except this event is
about pulling wools over our eyes, just to wet our incredible nod to government magical stories.
Now to the single African Air Transport market, I believe unwto should know that aviation does not drive tourism in Nigeria nay Africa. Secondly, Minister lai Mohammed is the wrong person to approach over this issue. It is laughable for all knowing UNWTO to request a Ministry in Nigeria, which for eight years, could not define, activate and deploy critical roads and technology infrastructure to aid speedy growth of cultural tourism economy in Nigeria. Have we ever seen the Railways, local airlines, Maritime vessels, deliberately engaged for the sake of tourism business and growth?
It is not my business to let you know we are in for another Madrid ride to nowhere. I truly pity the authorities at NIHOTOUR, who initiated Gastronomy festival in Nigeria and lost it to rudderless ntdc in Madrid. A VAR of what transpired to the change of baton , would have helped immensely. Am sure Foluronsho Coker can’t do jack about that festival, and in the month of May? .
This lagos boy once swore he would never go to Europe to market Nigeria and now , the double speak.. . The month of MAY indeed, is another May Day emergency call signal to the of eight years tourism rot and non achievement in ntdc and the Ministry.
To expect Unwto to dress the the ministry and ntdc up for a farewell tea party of acceptance and achievement, is to call Humpty Dumpty, a dull baby.
