Nigeria’s Culture, Tourism Sector Can Match Oil In Revenue Generation – Okorocha

Nigeria’s Culture, Tourism Sector Can Match Oil In Revenue Generation – Okorocha

The Chairman Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Rochas Okorochas, has unveiled his plans to transform the culture and tourism sector into the number-one revenue-generating sector in Nigeria.

The lawmaker spoke on Thursday during a meeting with stakeholders of the sector.

Mr Okorochas, who reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian government to transforming the industry into Nigeria’s new oil, said the tourism sector has the potential to compete with crude oil in generating revenue for Nigeria.

“Outside agriculture, the best employer of labour is tourism. But its contribution to our Gross Domestic Product is infinitesimal and it is unacceptable.

“Today, destiny has brought on my shoulder and my colleagues’ to steer the ship. Our mission is to revive it,” Mr Okorocha said.

He said as part of plans to make the tourism sector top-notch, he had had an open discussion with the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Musa Bello, on acquiring an expansive land for promoting leisure.

He, therefore, called on the Chief Executive officers of parastatals in the tourism sector for cooperation in moving the sector forward, saying he lacked the expertise in the area but vowed to try his best alongside their support.

“This is not my area of expertise, I would have loved to be chairman Senate Committee on Education but I will do my best.

“Working together, we shall give Nigeria the best that will meet Nigerians’ aspirations,” he said.

Also speaking, the Director-General, National Centre for Arts and Culture, Segun Runsewe, decried the neglect of the sector by successive administration.

He expressed the same view with the senator that the sector could make a lot of difference in revenue-generation if only it could be put to work.

He, however, urged the Senate to show more serious concern to the indiscriminate issuance of Nigerian international passport, saying that some of those being nabbed aboard for heinous acts were not Nigerians.