Culture: Time not to disengage the feeding bottle
By Frank Meke
Ben Akabueze, Nigeria’s budget office boss, is one the government official. that kept to his call of duty like a missionary.
He is not confrontational or controversial. From Lagos State Government, where our president with eyes for technocrats picked him when he was Lagos governor, Ben Akabueze held his head above the waters. He represented well, played by the roles, and guided the then administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu well in Lagos.
Pres. Bola Tinubu
There’s one other fellow who brought the same reach to Lagos state government then, though not in the financial sector but on the Transportation ecosystem, one Barrister Muiz Banire.
As a young reporter interested in true governance and citizens mobilization, these two gentlemen in the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu government in Lagos were true to their calling, and results were unmistakable.
While Ben Akabueze headed up to the centre and has held the budget office for eight years, Muize Banire, who initially held the APC legal apparatus at the centre, left and chose to be a columnist on good governance with the sun newspapers.
Banire till today, irrespective of whatever political situation that took him out of Asiwaju political family, is one of the best technocrats that the President head hunted to deepen lagos Transportation ecosystem.
I met Banire through indefatigable Gani Tarzan Balogun, who’s one of Nigeria’s best private sector boat transportation investor and operator but didn’t have any close relationship with Ben Akabueze either in Lagos or at the centre. I was just an interested follower of Akabueze dedication and commitment to best practice in his assigned duties.
Ben Akabueze last week rolled out a long the list of registered entities, particularly research institutions, and added up the National Council for Arts and Culture as one of the government agencies that must be man enough to turn Nigeria’s economy around without government funding.
I really don’t know what informed that decision or listing and in truth has no objection to it if only the Budget office has been more thorough or clinical with its reasons considering the fact no country or nation even China which loans Nigeria money has removed their cultural tourism economy from government support and funding.
Imperatively and going forward, stakeholders in the sector have always bemoaned poor government funding of entire complexities of Nigeria culture and tourism ecosystem, summed as traumatic as part of the fanciful year to year lip service paid to deepen the true value chain of the sector as Nigeria’ s next oil.
And talking about investing and positioning of economic endposts, funding in the oil sector which failed us due to a highly corrupt system and plenty thieving hands in the oil soup, same funding interest was never devoted to our culture sector as the next oil.
I beg oga Ben Akabueze to please correct this assertion. Our cultural tourism economy was treated with some kind of simplistic tolerance in government budgetary allocation and had struggled to impact despite its famed socioeconomic and political correctness.
I will want Ben Akabueze to compare our government cultural tourism funding with South Africa or China, which is all over Africa using and strategically deploying its cultural tourism power to woo the young persons in Africa.
Check out the massive and strategic Chinese economic partition of Africa, powered by its cultural tourism evangelism across Nigeria nay Africa. Maybe Nigeria Budget office will better think of revising and deleting ncac from the list of agencies to benefit from government funding.
While the British colonial merchants came with religion as the soft copy of its economic partition of Africa, the Chinese undoubtedly chose cultural tourism exchange and message to break the walls of any perceived resistance to its economic mission in Nigeria nay Africa.
History has taught us that any nation that cannot hold effectively its history and culture is as good as gone. I believe time has come for Nigeria budget office, and indeed, this administration to help shape and determine the culture beyond gains of monetary returns and job creation, stepping up the security and national cohesion imbibed in our cultural diversity.
I was at the Ojude Oba Festival in ijebu last week and wept at the dangers of wholesale foreign influence on the dance and dress sense of our children. They rebelliously dressed and danced against the cultural intent of Ojude Oba. While their parents and uncles proudly dressed in native attires to pay homage to the Awujale, these kids simply went unabashedly naked, stylishly and shamelessly provocative, telling the likes of the Budget office, to come see how far foreign entertainment influenced lifestyle has swallowed our so called leaders of tomorrow.
Fortunately, Ojude Oba, like many other festivals in Nigeria, showcases our cultural tourism diversity, which must be accorded special funding status by the government. To play hide and seek with the funding of our cultural tourism expectations will only bring us pain and calamity.
If Ben Akabueze and others who pretend not know the values of protecting, promoting, and marketing our cultural diversity will require serious funding and support from both states and federal governments, then we have nothing to bequeath to our children who have already shown capacity to go the way of Armageddom.
There must be no playing to the gallery about serious funding for our culture sector. From the east, west, south, and north of Nigeria, there already exist manifestations of rot in the morale, mental and spiritual ethos of our youths, many of them as students of drug addiction and champions of lewd ways of living.
While the Chinese and the Japanese are on hot trail and pursuit of arresting morale decadence among their young persons through cultural intellectual engagements and funding the same heavily, our budget office is playing funding downsizing with what’s left of our cultural institutions.
And until Nigeria invited Segun Runsewe to come repair our culture refinery (NCAC) , this same critical driver of our socioeconomic and political culture agency was nowhere within the eyes of government attention.
In the past five years, Runsewe has transformed the culture agency rightly, propelling it to address societal morale decadence, particularly among our young persons. His interpretation of the values and benefits of enthroning a strong futuristic political space driven by cultural ethos unsettled many strange deviant proponents of warped ways of living in Nigeria.
I wonder where Akabueze is when Runsewe deployed the power of cultural righteousness to confront the community of promoters of same sex marriage, lizards of religious intolerance, and creeping agents harnessing the virtues of our youths through satanic entertainment offerings?.
To properly situate the cultural diversity of each state in the country, it was this same ncac that went around the country and preached to our governors the importance of protecting our diversity through hosting of national festival of Arts and Culture. From Kaduna to Rivers, Plateau, Edo, and lagos state, the hosting of the festival in the aforementioned states was deliberately targeted to change perceptions on national security, peace and unity.
Is it then out of mere political expediency that our new president has taken to both local and international podium to assure us that our cultural diversity is the game changer in his determined intent to enthrone a government of national competence?
The sociopolitical and cultural message of Emi lo’ kan ( it’s my turn ) today has positively impacted the life of young persons who once gave up on nation and people but suddenly rose up to confront challenges and bring changes to their lives and community.
The president’s branded cultural cap revealed again how our leaders can be champions of cultural revolution through showcasing the importance and values in our ways of dressing.
No doubt culture can help change our political engineering beyond merely having our traditional musical arts heralding campaigns and victuals of interludes at our conferences and state banquets.
Indeed and significant, the totality of our cultural tourism diversity is a strong hold to rebuilding our nation today and tomorrow. However, there should be no denying how we can redeem the future of our people, our children, through cultural reinvention.
Ben Akabueze should cost the intrinsic values of our cultural diversity and rightly fund the future of our nation. Indeed, NCAC could, beyond the present expectations, turn the social media platforms of our culture refinery to a gold mine.
Runsewe, competently, fearlessly, and passionately has gifted us the way to go about turning our cultural values into a mint. We now have an address, a one-stop shop identity, proudly telling our story in Abuja, at the Nigerian Culture House.
I won’t tell of all that will be on showcase in that convent of our cultural limitlessness, so I will advise Ben Akabueze and our economic team to visit the Nigerian culture House to behold the true essence and spiritual meaning of Emi’ lokan.
Ncac must be sustained through adequate funding because its mandate is a Nigerian citizen cultural mobilization mandate. The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in seeking solutions to many problems facing our youths need to go Nigerian culture House and see competence on showcase and it can only be culture. The Jagaban of Borgu should stand with our culture. Interestingly, that’s how other nations , the Chinese in particular, became both economic and political giants.
Hilda Baci displays Guinness World Records cooking record certification
Guinness World Records has confirmed Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci as the new record holder for the longest cooking marathon.
The Akwa Ibom-born celebrity chef, Hilda Baci last month, cooked for 93 hours 11 minutes non-stop inside a Lagos kitchen for four days, breaking India’s Lata Tondon’s 87 hours 45 minutes record of uninterrupted cooking in the process.
Ms Hilda Baci with her Guinness World Records certification
Hilda had initially set a record of 100 hours of marathon cooking, but the GWR verified only 93 hours and 11 minutes of that time.
In June, the record body finally certified her as the new record holder for the longest cooking marathon (individual).
“Following a thorough review of all the evidence, Guinness World Records can now confirm that Hilda Effiong Bassey, better known as Hilda Baci, has officially broken the record for the longest cooking marathon (individual), with a time of 93 hours 11 minutes,” the post reads.
On May 15, Hilda Effiong Bassey, better known as Hilda Baci, undertook an attempt to break the record of 87 hours 45 minutes set by Lata Tondon, the India chef, in 2019.
Guinness World Record tweeted, “After reviewing all the footage, we’re delighted to announce that Hilda Baci is the new record holder for the longest cooking marathon (individual).
FTAN pledges support for NTDA, seeks partnership in implementation of new Act
Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has pledged its support for the new law establishing Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA).
The new Act replaced the controversial Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).
The Association led by its President Mr. Nkereuwem Onung during a visit to the Agency at its headquarters in Abuja on Friday 16th June, 2023, called for cooperation with NTDA towards seamless implementation of the new law.
The President in his opening speech said FTAN had on signing of the law set up a committee which reviewed the law noting the conflicts, cooperation, collaboration and partnership therein. On conviction that the benefits of the new law in ensuring uniform Tourism Policy in the country far outweighs conflicts that may arise therein sued for greater Public Private Partnership in implementation of the law.
Welcoming the Association, the Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Authority Chief Folorunsho Coker said the Agency will be working with the private sector on the “best from the law until we get a better one”.
He also said that with the prevailing peace between government and private sector, the Association should focus on what suits it in the new law stressing that we can only succeed in a “spirit of cooperation”.
COMMUNIQUE
The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting are as follows:
1, FTAN and NTDA are to cooperate, collaborate and partner in forging the way forward for Tourism in Nigeria governed by the new law. Also more consultations and collaboration guaranteed going forward.
2, Need for greater Public Private Participation in the implementation of the Tourism Policies in Nigeria.
3, Role of the Commissioners of Tourism in the States to be incorporated through engagements with them.
4, Stakeholders meeting to be organized for the purpose of implementation of the new law.
5, FTAN to ensure MDAs within the Tourism Sector stick to their mandates to grow Tourism.
6, It is difficult for any state to run Tourism independent of the Federal government.
7, Presently, revenue accruing to the country from Tourism via taxes are not yet accessible to the industry practitioners and this will be corrected by the new law.
8, The need for FTAN to speak with one voice.
9, FTAN to adopt technology in Tourism.
10, NTDA will be willing and ready to champion FTAN issues.
Foremost travel, tourism writers’ body, ANJET gets new executives
Foremost travel, tourism writers’ body, the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET) has elected a new Executive Committee to pilot affairs of the group for the next two years.
Faces of the new ANJET exco.. (from left) Mrs Olayemi, Mr Ayuk, Mr Nze, Mrs Okafor and Mrs Ezike at their election in Abuja, Thursday
The new executive committee members of ANJET, a body affiliated to the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), was elected during its general meeting which held at the Rose Ultimate Hotel, Abuja, Thursday, June 15, witnessed by a gathering of the group’s teeming members.
The new committee replaces the immediate past body headed by Mr Franklyn Ihejirika.
In a keenly contested election held in Abuja, Mr. Victor Nze of the Oracle Today Newspaper emerged as the new president of the association, after a round of voting by members in attendance.
Mr. Nze, an experienced journalist, was a former Deputy Editor at Champion Newspapers who has over 17 years of experience in the tourism industry.
Other executive members elected into the new committee include; Mr. Samson Ayuk as the Vice President; Mrs. Taiye Olayemi of the New Agency of Nigeria (NAN), secretary; Mrs. Ekene Okafor of the Voice of Nigeria (VON)-Treasurer, while Mrs. Chioma Ezike of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) -Public Relations Officer (PRO).
In his acceptance speech, Nze promised to reposition the association, while continuing to engage industry practitioners and regulators alike, in a quest to raise the association to a higher pedestal.
Nigeria, most competitive gastronomy destination in Africa – Kangiwa, NIHOTOUR DG
By Janefrances Chibuzor
Director General National Institute For Hospitality And Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Nura Sani Kangiwa has stated that Nigeria is the most competitive Gastronomy tourist destination in Africa.
Director General National Institute For Hospitality And Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Nura Sani Kangiwa and the General Manager/CEO, National Arts Theatre, Prof Sunday Ododo at the event
According to Kangiwa, Nigeria has all it takes to become the leading Gastronomic Tourist destination in Africa.
He made the observation while giving an insight into the future of Nigeria in terms of gastronomy growth at the third edition of NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival held recently at the International Conference Center, Abuja.
He said: “Gastronomy is a cultural expression of nations through their food choices, sources of ingredients and types of cuisines and it typically thrives in culturally rich destinations like Nigeria”.
“The abundance of Nigerian cuisines exhibited here, today, are reflective of Nigeria’s gastronomic beauty and diversity. The cuisines poignantly reveal the ‘farm to table’ processes which signposts the economic multiplier-effects and social value of a thriving tourism Industry”.
He recalled, the the previous editions of NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival were very successful with over 1500 attendees ranging from stakeholders, members of the Diplomatic Corps, operators in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as members of the public.On this year’s edition,” he said, adding that this year’s festival ‘is no less endowed.’
“In fact, we have more than doubled the number of exhibitors for this event. As done in the past years, this day will be rounded off with a Investiture/Gala Night which would witness the presentation of prizes to winners of the Cooking Competition and conferment of the prestigious Fellowship of the Institute on individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves and contributed greatly to the promotion, growth and development of the Tourism and Hospitality industry in the country”.
Visitors empty exhibitors’ food stands in record time, as 2023 NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival closes in Abuja
Exhibition platforms erected by top chefs from the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, including; South East, West, South-South, North Central, West and East regions, and also those by foreign participants from Trinidad and Tobago, Senegal and Cote D’Ivoire became empty within minutes of the opening of the food and beverages section.
This is as attendees aggressively sampled the sumptuous and tasty delights on display, as this year’s edition of the popular Gastronomy Festival, closed, last Saturday, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
For the hundreds of visitors inside the ICC Abuja, on Saturday, June 17, it was a tour of duty swarming from one exhibition stand to the other exploring culinary delights on showcase at this year’s frighteningly massive Gastronomy Festival.
“I’m here now (South South stand) eating this Afang soup. When I’m through, I’m moving to the South West, and then to the South East, because I’m seeing the rush over there. I must see and taste what is going on there (Laughing). And when I’m done at the local level, I’m going international (foreign stands),” said Aliu Usman, an attendee bragged.
The Trinidad and Tobago was a beehive of food and beverages consumption, in the same way as Nigerians trooped in to sample Senegal and Ivorian culinary offerings.
According to President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), in his goodwill message, gastronomy has broken the barriers which politics and business had failed to do in the past, as according to him, the way chefs have united Nigerians and their brothers from the West African sub-regions, even aviation business and politics have lagged in that direction.
This year’s Gastronomy Festival , the third consecutive food and beverage exhibition and sampling event, initiated and annually organized by NIHOTOUR, since 2021, gathered more participants than the previous two editions.
The Gastronomy Festival is one of the largest of its kind in Africa, with public exhibition and free tasting of hundreds of culinary masterpieces from Nigeria’s 300 ethnic groups and the international communality including cuisines from China, Spain, Senegal, Trinidad & Tobago, and Cote D’Ivoire.
NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival is conceptualized and programmed to upskill Nigerian gastronomes and culinary artists on the technicalities, and emerging global best practices, of processing, preparing, presenting, packaging and promotion of foods, especially Nigerian traditional cuisines.
The theme for the 2023 NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival is “Culinary Arts: The Gateway to Growing Tourism Destinations”.
The Embassy of Spain to Nigeria brought in chef Alex Marugan, a celebrated Spanish chef to train and share best practices and emerging global trends of culinary arts with some select culinary schools in Nigeria.
This is also as Guinness World Records (GWR) holder for longest marathon cooking record by an individual, Hilda Bassey graced the festival’s gala and awards night, same Saturday, June 17.
Heads of MDAs, including those of the national Theatre, Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), National Orientation Agency, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) graced the occasion, even as others featured prominently at the awards/gala night.
The Spanish contingent
The food fest kicked off with Director General of NIHOTOUR disclosing that this year’s Gastronomy Festival, which is the third edition, organised by his institute had more than doubled the number of its participants, with added participation by Caribbean countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, as well as West African nations, including, Senegal, The Gambia, Cote D’Ivoire, in addition to Asian giants like China, and European culinary giants, Spain, which had brought its own celebrated chef Alex Marugan.
While China thrilled attendees and gourmets with their presentations, the Senegal stand was filed to the brim, in the same way as the Trinidad and Tobago thrilled with their beverage presentation.
On the home front, the South East stand, nearly turned into a stampede as visitors thronged the platform to sample everything on offer. They were the first to declare a state-of-emergency on food as they ran out of every of their culinary delights.
At the Awards/Gala night, which held at the same venue, so many staff of the institute went home with deserving prizes and money for their hardwork, as NIHOTOUR again prioritized excellence in labour.
NIHOTOUR) honoured recipients of its Most Outstanding Staff Members of the Year 2023 and the Best Campus of the Year 2023 awards with money and certificates and plaques.
The annual Best Campus and Outstanding Staff Members award system was introduced by the Director General of NIHOTOUR, Nura Sani Kangiwa in 2021.
The award system is a 12-calendar month performance evaluations matrix that straddles a preceding and a current year, hence this latest award is for May 2022 to June 2023. The winners will be publicly decorated at the Gala Night of NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival, June 17.
Lagos Campus emerged the Over-all Best NIHOTOUR Campus of the Year 2023, as its Coordinator, Mrs. Chinyere Uche-Ibeabuchi claimed the prize, which also includes an all-expense paid trip to Tunisia.
Also, the SERVICOM Unit Head in NIHOTOUR Abuja office, Mrs. Gemma Simon emerged as the Best Staff of the Year, winning in the process a trip to Tunisia; while Mr. Haladu Habu Wakili, a staff at the Registry Unit, NIHOTOUR Abuja, emerged as the Most Dedicated Staff of the Year 2023, winning an all-expense paid trip to Senegal.
In addition, the top-three culinary schools which won the NIHOTOUR cooking competition held in May 2023 to herald the 3rd NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival went home with their prizes including cooling appliances.
Similarly, NIHOTOUR also used the forum to honour some individuals in recognition of the roles in promoting the travel and tourism industry in the country.
Mr Gab Onah, Otunba Wale Akinboboye, Alhaji Idi Hong, were among the recipients as they were presented with their awards.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN General Assembly (UNGA) work to facilitate the observance of Sustainable Gastronomy Day, in collaboration with Member States, UN organizations and other international and regional bodies, as well as civil society, to observe the Day in raising public awareness of its contribution to sustainable development.
Another UN body, FAO promotes green culture diets that are not only healthy, but sustainable and suggests that countries that already have dietary guidelines should begin to consider a process of incorporating sustainability into them.
Meanwhile, UNGA on December 21, 2016 adopted its resolution A/RES/71/246 and designated June 18 as an international observance, Sustainable Gastronomy Day.
The decision acknowledges gastronomy as a cultural expression related to the natural and cultural diversity of the world. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the Earth is facing a triple planetary crisis of climate disruption, nature loss and pollution, sustainable gastronomy – celebrating seasonal ingredients and producers, preserving wildlife as well as our culinary traditions – is today more relevant than ever.
Culture and Entertainment: A Bone of Distraction, by Frank Meke
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave us a sign of what he possibly has in mind concerning the tourism economy under his administration. His adviser on Culture and Entertainment economy is Hannatu Musa Musawa.That’s all to it, and industry observers and operators are apprehensive. Activities have slowed , investment kept on hold, planned recruitment of persons in most of the frontline sectors, are kept and suspended. Nothing cheering anywhere and the killings and kidnappings not abating.When appointments are made, usually businesses, local and international, react either way, supportive or farlon.
In Hannatu Musa Musawa case, her relationship with the sector can not meet with the tourism industry integrity test. On Culture and Entertainment field, where is she coming from? Is she an investor? Has she the character, perseverance, the mobilization spirit, and temperament to stay on her feet through a week’s culture festival and to run deep into the night at the forefront promoting culture and entertainment in Nigerian. Can she speak the language of the sector, or is it another learning curve for a pretty lady? Hannatu, welcome!
Honestly, we must admit that the president need not consult us on his team of advisers, but again, in this sector, we have seen even some of our perceived best brains fail on the beat.
There used to be an Edem Duke,and he failed and fell like Humpty Dumpty. Munzali Dantata, came, and failed, lai Mohammed, we saw angels falling from heaven and Folarin Coker, make we no go there. Sally Mbanefo, oh dear, we nearly lost it
This sector is a slippery ground. I mean culture and tourism, so established technocrats, not portfolio influencers, must be sought to drive it. We just lost eight years in the classroom of culture and tourism, with forced marriage with information, which boomeranged. There was no doubt that lai Mohammed simply could not grapple with the basics of managing the sector and another failed opportunity in Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, renamed a tourism authority.
But for NCAC, Nihotour, Nico, and the National Troupe of Nigeria, Nigeria, possibly could have ended on the wrong side of the tourism economy. The efforts of these agencies to keep our cultural tourism hope should count and matter as we count days to the expected appointments of ministers.
However, the above structures are within government good strides, yet the failing link is the private sector. This sector is huge but disorganised and dismembered, operating on life support of creativity and passion.
Indeed, the confusion heralding every government seeking to define which of multi sectoral presence, powering our tourism space is as old as biblical methuselah
We had during the military regimes experimented on commerce, trade, and tourism. Usually, under these contraptions, tourism opportunities at the ministry were relegated to a departmental affair, and knowing the civil service management ecosystem, such departments hardly attract trained professionals. However, the gains lay with having an encompassing agency such as Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation ( Authority), which, in such scenario, takes over the promotion and marketing of tourism activities within and outside Nigeria
South Africa Tourism gives a better picture of what NTDC or is it NTDA should possibly put in practice in terms of operational delivery. Unfortunately, sadly, ntda slothfully failed. The fellow there went to sleep for eight years.
Clearly, I have no doubt that the totality of culture, arts, history, tradition, music, festivals, food, fashion and language remains the major critical component of our tourism economy, far richer and bigger than oil sector, which we must invest our hope and faith to drive our tourism today and tomorrow economy.
As earlier stated, to be swayed by emerging acceptation of our breakthroughs in music, or generally put entertainment sector as worth a plank to relegate our tourism space, is not only hasty but simplistic.
Let us even look at the semantics inherent in defining Where and what drives or should not drive our tourism. In agreement that culture is key, should we second guess that entertainment is the ” feel process” that is embedded in the tourism ecosystem?. Indeed, culture, particularly the festival varient, has the most vibrant, unifying, and security vitamins that could impact more positively on our diversity, both in gain of job creation and return on investment.
No worries about the huge impact and revenue supposedly generated under the entire tourism economy, to which entertainment is just part of the component and competition, am convinced that the government is merely being souped in the glee and glory of the entertainment fever, such as music and Nollywood to stir up emotional controversies instead of deep down policy ethos which could sustain a tourism economy, highly competitive and complex in the dynamic global market.
Let me try to situate a free fall definition of entertainment and do the breakdown and imagine the possible administrative confusion that may tail a supposed Ministry of Culture and Entertainment economy if one could rightly guess where the heart of this administration bellows.
Apart from starting afresh to search for entertainment administrators and technocrats, there may also be a cross fire nose up from culture administrators, largely due to professional misgivings usually seen when two extreme undervalued economies are merged.
Notably, and if we are right in our perception, the two components of tourism, may work at cross purpose in the next four years, not because the idea is not fanciful and doable but knowing the Nigerian factor, petitions of all kinds may ambush the culture and entertainment experiment. The entertainment sector is hugely disorganised and quarrelsome.
Before he passed away about three years ago, late Dr Victor Uwaifo disclosed that he would not share the same musical podium with any musician who has not spent about fifty years on the music scene. The musical genius believes that the rave and boosted image of most musicians on the music scene can only be tested by experience, character, and staying power other than celebrations, merely driven by commercial reasons, which will fade with time.
Except President Bola Ahmed Tinubu comes to terms with a deeper understanding of the sustainability strategy and features of a stand-alone Ministry of Tourism, the current kitting of culture and entertainment economy may back fire, regrettably another wasted effort looms.
Nollywood is great, the third biggest film industry in the world after Hollywood and Bollywood, but has anyone bothered to see emerging downward free fall of the film sector due to sudden protectionism by Africa countries of their film industry, thus targeting the Nigerian film makers from distribution and sales of their films outside our shores.
The Web of Protectionism against Nigeria films also includes tough approval timelines to requests to shoot films in most African countries or to even partner to share creative ideas. At home, various government agencies and non state actors have made it extremely difficult for Nollywood to look sustainable. They are hounded daily for taxes even when they pay their bills.
Recently, at a meeting in Lagos, with Nigeria film and Censors Board, Nollywood stakeholders presented a very sad story about the once vibrant sector.
Music, cinema, films, comedy, museums, live entertainment, advertising, broadcasting, gambling , sports, and a long listing of entertainment ecosystems, all components of tourism, needs urgent professionalism of their environment, no doubt but to dream to advance its policy matters without addressing the challenges, will only create more schism.
We can confidentially speak of the two billion dollars revenue generation from the music sector and the grand good image our artists bring to Nigeria on the international scene. Our Nollywood producing 2, 500 films yearly is equally enticing, but in truth, the gains from these breakthroughs are all in foreign hands.
How impactful economically is the entertainment sector considering the fact that it is driven by entertainment mafia outside our shores, who are glad to allow us celebrate the image gains but smiles to the bank with the end game real money.
There is nothing on the home ground suggestive that we can sustain our entertainment sector as part or frontline driver of tourism in Nigeria.
The global entertainment engagement circuit with our creative artists on the front page tells where the market is and where the spending power finds home.
Our cinemas host box office breaking flicks from outside our shores, and with Netflix, it is a tough place to survive for the indigenous content.
Indeed, I will welcome a responsive Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Entertainment if government truly desires practical change to work out policy matters that will properly organise and deepen job creation openings in the industry but to run to town, without culturally addressing certain issues affecting the overall market, is to play to the gallery.
In sum, as good as entertainment may sound to ears and its economic impact undeniable, it sadly feeds and flowers the growing traffic of illicit drugs and consumption of drugs among our young persons, with the negative disruptive tendencies, affecting the music produced and marketed in Nigeria. This is, however, not a generalisation but a call that we must brace for unseen side negative impact of any a growing entertainment enterprise economy. NDLEA sure has records in this area.
The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has worked hard to sanitise the tourism industry over time, partnering with government agencies to open the flood gate of the richness of the economy and its impactful job gain. There is still much that should be done.
This government should not make the mistake of 2015, a very hasty one, which fretted away all the gains accurable to the cultural tourism economy.
Come July 20th and in Abuja, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, will position this discussion on the front burner at its 26th Annual General Meeting, and hopefully the President’s economic policy advisers, may share with us beyond what we know, why Nigeria, wish to toe lines confounding to our cultural tourism space.
The theme of the event is tourism today, tomorrow: setting agenda for the government. ” I can’t wait to hear from the economic policy team of the president and how competence in policy execution and management will take us to the tourism promised land. It is time we take tourism seriously and stop masquerading in addressing tourism components semantics.
Nigeria: Radisson Hotel Group adds 3 new properties to portfolio
Radisson Hotel Group has continued to extend its leading position in the Nigeria hospitality market, with the recent signing of three new hotels in different locations across the country.
This is as the group consolidates its hold on the market, with its sight on having 15 hotels in its portfolio by end of 2025.
These new hotels include the highly anticipated debut of the bold and cutting-edge upscale lifestyle Radisson RED brand to the country, which has cemented the group’s introduction in Abuja with two brands.The hotels add over 400 rooms to its Nigeria’s portfolio comprising of 11 hotels in operation and under development, placing the group firmly on track to achieve its 15 hotels target by 2025.
Erwan Garnier, Senior Director, Development, Africa at Radisson Hotel Group, noted, ‘‘we are proud of our accelerated expansion in Nigeria, which mirrors our focus territories of Lagos and Abuja and the expansion of our diverse brands, from our premium luxury lifestyle brand with the Radisson Collection Hotel and Conference Centre, Abuja to our renowned upper upscale brand; ‘‘With the Radisson Blu Hotel, Abuja CBD and finally the debut of our upscale lifestyle brand with Radisson RED Lagos VI – the first Radisson RED hotel in West Africa and third in Africa.
‘‘These three signings have to date this year, increased our Nigerian pipeline by 50% with a rise from nearly 850 rooms to almost 1300 rooms. They are all under active construction as well, aligned with our African accelerated pipeline strategy which has kept us in the steady lead in terms of pipeline materialisation.”
Radisson Collection Hotel and Conference Centre, Abuja features 249 rooms, making it third Radisson Collection hotel and the premium lifestyle brands debut in Abuja. It is located next to the Presidential Villa in Maitama District; Radisson Blu Hotel, Abuja CBD, is the group’s third Radisson Blu hotel in Nigeria.
It boasts 104-room and scheduled to open in first quarter of 2025; and Radisson RED Lagos VI, which is the group’s seventh hotel in operation and under development in Lagos. It is making its debut in the Nigeria market, featuring 62 room and scheduled to open in the last quarter of 2025.
