*Insufficient
premium placed on sector by oil exporting states
In order to
achieve the first ten-year implementation plan of the Africa Union’s agenda
2063 aimed at doubling the contribution of tourism to the continent’s gross
domestic
product (GDP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD), has advised African Governments to adopt measures that support local
sourcing, encourage local entities’ participation in the tourism value chain
and boost infrastructure development.
To meet this
target, the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Mukhisa Kituyi who described tourism
as a dynamic sector with phenomenal potential in Africa said there is need for
tourism in Africa to grow at a faster and stronger pace. He stressed that if
properly managed, it can contribute immensely to diversification and inclusion
for vulnerable communities.
Kituyi
disclosed this in a statement yesterday at the unveiling of the 2017 Economic
Development in Africa Report produced by UNCTAD at the United Nation Information
Centre (UNIC), Lagos.
Recent
report showed that tourism in Africa is a flourishing industry that supports
more than 21 million jobs contributes about 8.5 per cent to the continent’s
GDP. It explained that between 1998 and 2014, international tourist arrivals to
Africa have increased from 24 million to 56 million, with increased revenue of
$47 billion.
Indeed, the
United Nations General Assembly designated 2017 as the International Year of
Sustainable Tourism and Development called on all concerned actors to take
advantage of the international year to sustain tourism as means of promoting
and accelerating sustainable development through poverty eradication and job
creation.
Speaking on
the theme of the report, “Tourism for Transformative and Inclusive Growth”,
Director, UNIC, Ronald Kayanja who noted that tourism will play a role in
enabling the world achieve the 17 global goals, however, lamented the untapped
opportunities in the tourism industry in Nigeria. According to Kayanja, Nigeria
still ranks very low with a mere 1.2 million visitors in 2015 compared to 9
million for South Africa and 10 million for Morocco in the same year.
He said:
“For Nigeria, promoting tourism is consistent with the goal of the government
to diversify the economy. The emphasis by the federal government on ease of
doing business and the added focus on investing in small, medium and micro
enterprises will go a long way to help the tourism sector.”
Making a
presentation of the report is a Professor in the department of Economics,
University of Lagos, Ndubuisi Nwokoma stressed the need for tourism to grow
faster than GDP to achieve the first ten year implementation plan. He bemoaned
the insufficient premium placed on tourism by oil exporting states in Africa.
Describing tourism like a hanging fruit in Africa waiting to be harvested, he
emphasized on the need to place more attention to the sector which stands to
grow the GDP of the continent.
On
recommendations generated from the report, he said: “In creating the necessary
environment to thrive the sector, security should be enhanced. We need to also
make sure we develop other sectors like Agriculture so that there could be
strong inter-sectoral linkages. This would help to minimize the foreign inputs
used in serving the sector.”
According to Guardian, the
President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Nike Akande who
was the chief guest at the launch said the body known for its advocacy
functions will help to push to assist Nigerians benefit from the sector with
lots of revenue accrued to government and individual private sector from
tourism.
On what
Lagos state is doing in the tourism sector that could be of help Nigeria on the
long run, the acting commissioner for tourism, arts and culture, Adebimpe
Akinsola said: “Infrastructural development is uppermost in the heart of the
government of Lagos state and that is why we announced that the federal
government has acceded to the fact that Lagos state government should construct
the road from the airport as it serves as the window to Nigeria. That has been
a source of concern to the state government.”
She added
that “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has placed premium to the tourism sector as it
has the potential to transform the economic growth of Nigeria and Lagos in
particular, that is why he is putting up infrastructural developments that
would help tourism to thrive and grow in Lagos state”.
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