By Frank Meke
Have you read about pillars unto honour? This fellow is of a different mould. He is like the silent and noiseless wind, gentle, soothing, and effectual.
He glides to deliver his messages and holds you spellbound in his smattering French accented English. He is big and strong in the Benin Republic hospitality and tourism trade.
Dine Bouriama owns Benin, Cotonou based Royal Hotels, and President of Benin Tourism Federation also known as Consortium Touriste Pa millions( CTM) and vice president, African Tourism Board ( ATB).
I met him in Abuja through the irrepressible president of Nigerian Tourism Federation , Nkereweum Onung a month ago and took to watching him.
At the Abuja ftan non elective confab, Dine Bouraima was the toast of the effervescent Nigerian tourism players, particularly those who trade across the Nigerian tourism borders.
He was the special guest of the Nigerian tourism federation, and I took note of the fact that Dine was at home. During his remarks, Dine revealed his dream for the west coast and intra African tourism collaboration and, as usual, he delivered with sleath.
Despite his smattering English, Dine spoke Yoruba dialect perfectly and made it clear that he has a Nigerian blood flowing in him. Though a Beninose, Dine loves the prosperity of Abuja and Nigeria in particular but is worried that both countries are not doing enough to integrate and fuss the two sister tourism trade economies.
On Friday, Dine Bouraima waited across the border in Porto Novo to welcome his friend and brother from Nigeria, Nkereweum Onung to Cotonou, Benin Republic. The trip was initially scheduled for Thursday but was called off due to a failed flight connection out of Nigeria.
I was part of Nigeria federation president delegation, and we opted out for a two and half hours trip through the lagos and Benin waters. Nkereweum Onung is a waterman from oron, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria, yet the experience was nothing he was used to before now.
It was a speed boat affair, and the weather was friendly, but the wind was boisterous and generated a bumper ride. It didn’t rain and we smiled to the blessings of nature.
Dine Bouraima drove to the Porto Novo waterfront to pick us , excited and had sworn that his week would have been ambushed if Nkereweum Onung didn’t make it to Benin Republic.
The ride to Cotonou was less than twenty-five minutes, generally slowed down due to unending calls which made Dine to park and sometimes, slowed down completely. Dine, certainly, is a man of many parts and does not need a special assistant to handle his many interests as he evidently proved that multi-tasking is a must DNA for any tourism operator.
Dine Bouriama has plenty of ideas and has eyes and ears to the ground beyond the Benin Republic hospitality economy.
Engaging and hospitable, a well laid lunch on the exclusive luxury swimming pool and bar located on fifth floor of his well-appointed hotel with a panoramic view of the city of Cotonou, truly revealed the man who has chosen to bridge the new Nigerian and Benin Tourism togetherness.
The lunch table was drapped in Ecowas colours. There were Nigerian, Ghanaian and Benin operators who thronged Cotonou for the inaugural Benin and Nigeria tourism meet, and Dine is the soul of the initiative apart from Nkereweum Onung.
I had black coffee and a corn meal with grounded green pepper . Dine Bouriama made sure we eat across the table and from each others plate. He has no airs, and except you are introduced, one could probably think he is just a visitor instead of the ebullient owner of one of the best hospitality brands in Benin Republic.
Another Benin, but Nigerian born, face of the industry in this place is ulanmma Ojukwu, tall, Ebonyi black, convivial and deeply assertive and approachable. She compliments Dine here and both insist that the president of the Nigerian tourism federation must see the biggest maritime tourism village in Africa, called the Ganvie.
Ganvie is indeed a nature wonder, an exclusive lake village, laying around Lake Nokoue, near Cotonou, and a populist influencer of tourism visits , with about 350 million inhabitants.
It is a unesco site and was founded around the 16th century by the Yofinu people who ran to the place to escape the rampaging slave merchants and warriors of fon who were slave traders. Ganvie means ” we survived ” in the local dialects here, and we did the visit on two tourist Boats, with a surprise welcome party by local dance troupe at the gate into the mystery water village, waiting to receive the president of the Nigerian tourism federation, Mr Nkereweum Onung and his team.
Ganvie is a story that needs to be retold by me, and loading as it made my day and counted much for the future survival of the tourism brotherhood between the two countries. It is equally important and significant that this process and initiative are driven by the private sectors in both countries, not the governments.
Though the Benin Republic government has taken to evidential tourism infrastructurial development across board, unlike Nigeria. , it is tempting to submit that Benin Republic may outgun Nigerian in the hunt for tourism visits in the international market place. We talk too much in Nigeria, they do the tourism reality show here!
Those who think Nigeria is right to run an exclusive tourism ministry without cultural content should possibly visit here to learn how all enablers and drivers of tourism are strategically fussed together to promote Benin Republic economy beyond rice pyramids and car marts.
While our Hannatu Musa Musawa, is in the office of our culture, clapping for a fanciful 100 billion dollars culture economy, Lola Ade John, our tourism queen of kush, is being pussy, running around in circles, looking for non exitent sympathetic shoulders to cry on for lack of tourism largesse.
From what is going on here, at least from my not too recent visits here and on this auspicious occasion, Nigerians apart from trade and commercial end drives, may move into Benin Republic on a massive cross border tourism holiday experience, not with south Africa and lately Dubai, making it difficult for Nigerians willing to see other countries to come to their countries. Benin is just a stone throw across the border!
President of Nigerian Tourism Federation, Nkereweum Onung saw this far ahead, about two years ago, and has intentionally broken up the yoke tying down the advantages of tourism development economies in the west coast.
Dine Bouraima, is Nkereweum Onung partner in this ground dream and like an Olympic race, the two influencers have shown examplery commitment and dedication, waiting for notable flag bears across the two countries, Nigeria and Benin and also across the entire west coast cultural tourism sector to join the revolution and advocacy.
Dine Bouraima, may not be an orator, but has shown capacity to procees and empower the engagement in the new tourism economies of Nigeria and Benin. He is a worthy pillar and needs our prayers and encouragement .
Let me however, note and inform you that Benin Republic economy is no longer the easy meat. If you want to come here, be disciplined, get enough change as the hotels are good and not cheap and you don’t need to ask for afro beats and Fuji music here, Benin Republic is home to Nigerian creative artists.
Dine Bouraima is the pillar here, take it well and join the train.
