Alaafin: Tourism can revitalise Nigerian economy

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, has declared that if the Federal Government focuses on the tourism sector, such action can revitalise the economy.
He also called for a better articulation of agenda and guidelines towards mainstreaming culture into the distinctive mandates of both the Federal and State Governments, so as to ensure a more effective response to development needs.
The paramount ruler also stressed the need for recognition of specific contributions that culture as a sector, encompassing tangible and intangible heritage, cultural and creative industries as well as cultural infrastructures, has made towards achieving sustainable development, as evidenced in terms of poverty alleviation, social inclusion and environmental sustainability.
Oba Adeyemi gave the advice at this year’s Aje Festival held in Badagry, Lagos State.
The annual festival 2016 is the International Day for the Remembrance of the infamous Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and its Abolition.
According to him, “ the tourism sector has become one of the world’s fastest growing economic sectors. Gross worldwide tourism receipts grew at an average rate of 7 % from 1998 to 2008, with 12 % for the Least Developed Countries for the same period. Cultural tourism – that relies on tangible and intangible cultural assets – accounts for 40 % of world tourism revenues. Investment in culture and creativity has
proven an excellent means for revitalise the economy of cities. Today, many cities use cultural heritage and cultural events and institutions to improve their image, stimulate urban development, and attract visitors as well as investments”.
Most middle-income countries, Alaafin asserted, are developing vibrant culture sectors and initiatives and request assistance in this area. Culture-led development also includes a range of non-monetized benefits, such as greater social inclusiveness and rootedness, resilience, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship for individuals and communities, and the use of local resources, skills,
and knowledge.
“Respecting and supporting cultural expressions contribute to
strengthening the social capital of a community and fosters trust in public institutions. Cultural factors also influence lifestyles, individual behaviour, consumption patterns, values related to environmental stewardship, and our interaction with the natural environment. Local and indigenous knowledge systems and environmental management practices provide valuable insight and tools for tackling ecological challenges, preventing biodiversity loss, reducing land
degradation, and mitigating the effects of climate change.”
Alaafin further submitted that cultural and creative industries
represent one of the most rapidly expanding sectors in the global economy with a growth rate of 17.6 % in the Middle East, 13.9 % in Africa, 11.9 % in South America, 9.7 % in Asia, 6.9 % in Oceania, and 4.3 % in North and Central America.
“Promoting this sector requires limited capital investment, involves low entry barriers and can have a direct impact on vulnerable populations, including women. In Ecuador, for instance, recent studies showed that the formal and private cultural activities contributed 4.76% to the 2010 GDP and in the same year, 2.64% of the total employed population worked in cultural occupations. Almost 60% of the
latter were women.
“Culture-sensitive approaches have demonstrated concretely how one can address both the economic and human rights dimensions of poverty at the same time, while providing solutions to complex development issues in an innovative and multi sectoral manner. Indeed, culture has a transformative power on existing development approaches, helping to broaden the terms of the current development debate and to make development much more relevant to the needs of people.”
So, what are the international organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), politicians, policy makers, practitioners and as ordinary citizens and tourists doing with this tremendous opportunity to advance understanding among the inhabitants of the planet through
encounters with others and their cultural and artistic expressions, monumental and living, past and present? I strongly believe that tourism, which brings individuals and human communities into contact, and through them cultures and civilizations, has an important role to play in facilitating dialogue among cultures.
Tourism, he explained, has the capacity to assist the world’s
inhabitants to live better together and, thereby, contribute to the construction of peace in the minds of men and women. Cultural and natural heritage attract so many tourists, and is a resource for development. It is the involvement of all that will enable the heritage of humanity to be better preserved, living conditions to be improved and poverty reduced.
“Preserving cultural and natural heritage, to bring it within reach of all, making cultures and civilisations better known, improving daily living conditions and reducing poverty, is what gives meaning to the sustainability of tourism development”.
In his address, the Numeton 1 of Gberefu Island, Badagry, Oba Adeniyi Sanni, said it was the involvement of every citizen that will enable the heritage of humanity to be better preserved, living conditions to be improved and poverty reduced.
“Preserving cultural and natural heritage, to bring it within reach of all, making cultures and civilisations better known, improving daily living conditions and reducing poverty, is what gives meaning to the sustainability of tourism development. However, these objectives depend upon the quality of the design and the implementation of tourism policies and activities – that is to say, their understanding
of culture and their sustainability – which involves the participation of communities in the preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage in the long term.
Negative impacts of tourism, the monarch pointed out, “are by no means, inevitable. Tourism can have positive and lasting effects on our cultural and natural heritage, on creativity and cultural diversity, and on the environment and balance of societies.”
Highlights of the week-long event include conferment of awards on some prominent citizens.
Among them was the Royal Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the Alaafin, Chief Ayandotun Ayanlakin.
Ayandotun was honoured with the African Cultural Ambassador.