Tourism sector will thrive under Lai Mohammed, says FTAN President

President, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Chief Tomi Akingbogun, on Wednesday, assured that the country’s tourism sector would thrive under the current minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Akingbogun said in Abuja that the recent commitment demonstrated by the minister was a clear indication that the sector was about to experience a positive turnaround.
“We want to commend the performance of the honourable minister of culture and tourism; in the last one week, we can see a lot of planning and events.
“There was the 2016 National Summit on Culture and Tourism in Abuja; while the summit was going on, he went and declared open another tourism event somewhere in the Abuja.
“The next day he was in Jos to declare the first digital television transmission in Nigeria; we want to congratulate, encourage and thank him for being proactive and energetic for delivery of services.
“We are also witness at the summit when he immediately put in place action committee on implementation on the summit,’’ he said.
The FTAN president said “this was a departure from the previous ways of handling National Summit where people would come, talk and everybody goes home.’’
According to him, the Implementation Committee in which FTAN represents the private sector would soon commence work on the implementation of the recommendations at the summit.
At the end of the 2016 National Summit on Culture and Tourism, a committee was put in place to work out the implementation of the recommendations.
The Committee includes; Dr. Paul Adalikwu to serve as the Chairman, Mr George Ufot, the Secretary and Mrs Bolanle Austen-Peters as member.
Other members of the committee are Chief Tomi Akingbogun, the FTAN President, Mr Bertram Azuwike, the Director of Macro-economy and Statistics Department of National Bureau of Statistic and Prof. Sheriff Abdulhamid.
The committee was given four weeks to look at the recommendations and fashion out the proper steps for effective implementation.