Immigration boss lauds NTDC domestic tourism

Comptroller-general of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), David Parradang, has lauded the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), for evolving a sustainable vision needed to restart the tourism sector in Nigeria.

The comptroller-general, who made the commendation when he received Director General of NTDC, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, and her delegation in his office recently in Abuja, said he was particularly happy that the director general of the tourism agency has been living up to expectation and spreading the gospel of domestic tourism in Nigeria, which he described ‘as the magic and a potent instrument capable to jump-start and kindle the zeal of tourism consciousness in the nation.

“I am happy that you have discovered what is necessary and needed to unlock the hidden potentialities of this sector. You will discover that most of the countries reaping bountifully from tourism today first of all looked inside, took the tourism inventory in their countries, drove the consciousness in their own people, develop the sites, enhanced them and invited foreigners to come and see. This is exactly what Nigeria need to do and it gladdens my heart that you are not only talking it but doing everything practically possible to bring it to be.”

Parradang said statistics within the agency revealed that foreigners love to visit Nigerian tourist sites, but that some of them are sceptical about the status and facilities available in these sites, adding that these are the areas which the NTDC needs to work on.
The comptroller used the opportunity to highlight what the agency has put on ground to further the cause of tourism and tourists and also disclosed that the federal government of Nigeria has made Nigerian visa procurement easy and smooth.

“The operation of getting visa at point of entry has kicked off.  There are facilities on ground now where you can renew your visa in a day, there is no room for delaying in obtaining Nigerian visa any longer.”

He revealed the desire of the agency to partner with NTDC and to collaborate in any way that could add value to the domestic tourism vision of Mbanefo.
In her response, Mrs. Mbanefo commended Mr Parradang for having a good grasp of the tourism sector and highlighted the importance of NIS to NTDC.

“We are here to strengthen and lubricate the chord of relationship and collaboration, which should be between the Immigration Service and NTDC, the two Siamese twins of the travel and tourism sector,” she disclosed.

Mbanefo noted that no tourism agency can make any meaningful impact without a strategic partnership with the immigration service and that no serious tourism driver of a nation would undermine the position and essence of immigration service because, “statistical data and effective border control is essential to the growth of tourism and protection of the nation’s security integrity.”

– Travelafricanews.com