Edited by Frank Meke
** Nigeria’s first ever Culture House will be unveiled soon by the otunba Segun Runsewe led National Council for Arts and Culture ( NCAC).. The new edifice, apart from being the official address of the federal government Culture and Arts regulatory agency, it will also become a melting point and rendezvous for states and private sector Culture practitioners.
*** Hilda Baci has been officially crowned by Guinness Books of Records as the Queen of Cook a thon competition, 2023. Hilda Baci cooking Prowess has, in recent times, triggered off an unbelievable rash of interest in cooking marathons all over the country, generating unnecessary and emotional controversies Typical of Nigeria, there has not been any official government or organised private sector response in either harnessing the market values of our diverse food industry and the positive international image to which the competition won by Hilda Baci generated to the advantage of the country as a potential food tourism destination.
** While the biting effects of subsidy persists, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed into law , the student loan bill, geared towards liberalising funding of education in Nigeria. The law provides easy access to indignant students to seek interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education loan fund. This all-important gesture will be tested soon when the funding agency takes off. However, we fear Nigeria’s infamous man knows man monster , coming to play Russian roulette.
** The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism ( NIHOTOUR) will showcase Nigeria’s food ecosystem on Saturday in Abuja in an effort to use food to generate tourism traffic to Nigeria. The gastronomy festival also will showcase culinary skills exhibition , with a masterclass insight to the vocational training mandate of the agency.
** June 12 celebration has come and gone, but there is a corporate giant in water transportation that, for the past years, offered free boat trips for lagosians to celebrate this day in the annals of our democratic walk. Tarzan Boats, owned by Ganiyu Tarzan Balogun, has made it a yearly ritual to ferry passengers free of charge, from its operational base in Badore to Ikorodu and other littoral communities where it operates. Tarzan boat services also offer free passage to students and verified members of the security agencies working in lagos.
** IT was a night of emotions and tears of joy, as Niwa’s General Manager, legal service, and Board Secretary, Barrister Danladi Ibrahim was sent forth after a meritorious 35 years service to the country. Niwa managing director, Dr. George Moghalu described the outgoing legal Silk as a jolly good fellow and a brother. The Abuja Conference Hotel, venue of event, witnessed the presence of maritime big wigs and top water transportation operators, all niwa management staff from the six geopolitical operational areas and Board members.
Governor Eno umo of Akwa Ibom state, will lead other top tourism industry influencers to 26th Annual General Meeting of Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria ( ftan), slated for next month, July in Abuja. Ftan president Nkereweum onung disclosed that the private sector tourism practitioners apex body will use the occasion to define the future of industry, particularly in relation to government tourism promotion and funding. The theme of the confab is “Today and Tomorrow- sitting agenda.”
** Nanta President, Mrs Susan Akporiaye, will depart Nigeria on Thursday to attend the Annual General Meeting of Kenya Travel Agencies Association. She was invited by the Kenya travel trade body to share her experience on the challenges posed by difficult operational environments in the global travel industry.
