Nigeria and the UN World TourismOrganization (UNWTO) have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on the hosting of the 61st UNWTO Commission for Africa
(UNWTO CAF) Meeting 4-6 June 2018 in Abuja, reports ITRealms.
The Minister of Information andCulture, 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.
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Pix: L-R - The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the UNWTO's Secretary-General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, signing the Agreement on Nigeria's hosting of the 61st CAF Meeting, in Madrid, Spain, on Friday
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