Nigeria on Wednesday won the right to host, in 2018, the 61st meeting
of African Ministers in charge of Tourism, tagged the UN World Tourism
Organisation (WTO) Commission for Africa (CAF).
Nigeria won the hosting right following the presentation of a
five-minute video, entitled “Simply Nigeria”, to delegates at the
ongoing 59th edition of the UNWTO CAF Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The video, which highlighted Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and tourism destinations, was greeted by a prolonged applause.
Responding, Chairman of the UNWTO Commission for Africa and
Zimbabwean Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Dr Walter
Nzembi, said: “Procedurally, when a member state offers its destination
for the host of the next CAF, we all put that request to a test, do I
take the applause of the Minister’s presentation to mean your approval
of Nigeria as next destination call?”
The question was greeted by a more resounding applause, followed by member-countries voice affirmation.
Making a case for Nigeria’s bid, which was launched at the 58th
edition of the UNWTO CAF Meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, in 2015, the
Minister said it presents an opportunity for the country of almost 200
million people “to showcase our rich cultural heritage and to promote
Nigeria as a leisure and business destination”.
He described Nigeria as a “fascinating country” which previously
hosted the UNWTO CAF Meeting in 2003, 2008 and 2012, in addition to
hosting the Second World Festival of Black and African Festival of Arts
and Culture in 1977.
Mohammed said Nigeria is a country of peaceful and hospitable people,
and that the 2018 UNWTO CAF Meeting will be a practical demonstration
of the government’s commitment to developing the tourism sector as an
alternative source of revenue.
Earlier, he told the delegates that the Nigerian government has
defeated the Boko Haram insurgency, noting that occasional attacks on
soft targets by the insurgents who are now on the run do not amount to a
resurgence of the group.