Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the stage is now set for the 61st edition of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Commission for Africa (CAF) meeting scheduled for June 4 to 6 in Abuja.
The minister gave the assurances on Friday through his Special Assistant, Segun Adeyemi, in Benin, Edo state, when he paid a courtesy/promotional visit to the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
“Your Excellency, with the support of many stakeholders, I can boldly say that we are ready to host a very successful meeting. The various committees and sub-committees that we have put together to prepare forthe summit, are doing a great job. We will not disappoint,” he said.
Mohammed said Benin City, being a repository of a rich culture, cannot be ignored in the preparation for the global tourism meeting, hence the decision to visit the city as part of the ongoing nationwide advocacy tour during the meeting.
He said the meeting will afford the country the unique opportunity to expose her rich culture to the rest of the world and explore the theme: “Tourism Statistics: A Catalyst for Development”, to generate the much-needed statistics for the development of the tourism sector in Nigeria.
“For Nigeria, this is a great opportunity. In addition to the socio-economic gains, the event will put Nigeria, and the nation’s tourism industry in particular, on the world map, attract foreign research experts and promote the necessary network that will form the basis for future cooperation.
“Nigeria will also get a rare opportunity to showcase itself to the world: Its tourist attractions, its rich culture, as well as its music and films, which have become the toast of the world”, the Minister said.
In his remarks, Obaseki said the state government believed in the ability of tourism to significantly contribute to the economic development of the nation in general, and noted that Edo has so much to show the world.
“As it relates to the UNWTO CAF conference, as a state, just like you explained, we believe that we have the greatest tourism potentials”, he added.
