Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Muhammed has reiterated the readiness of Nigeria to explore and exploit tourism so that Nigerians seeking relaxation spots ‘will no longer need to jet to Dubai and similar destinations’.
The minister stated this yesterday while speaking at this year’s World Tourism Day at Eko Atlantic City, Lagos. Alhaji Lai who spoke on “Tourism For All: Promoting Universal Accessibility” stressed that notwithstanding the economic recession, Nigeria’s future is bright, even as the country diversifies its economy away from oil.
He said: “It takes an investor to have a great confidence in any economy before putting hundreds of millions of dollars into a city like this. Those who can see the bright stars in our horizon, beyond this temporary cloud of difficulties, are investing in the country even as we speak.”
He assured that the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is striving hard to reshape the economy of the country.
“It is becoming increasingly clear, like President Muhammadu Buhari has admonished, that we must think out of the box.
“We must find other sustainable means of earning foreign exchange outside of oil, to grow our country’s GDP and create jobs for our people.”
“Agriculture and mining are viable options, but tourism is the low hanging fruit in this regard, and we must not hesitate to pluck it,” Lai said.
The former APC spokesperson noted that “While I will like to reiterate Nigeria’s readiness to explore and exploit tourism for the benefit of its economy, I can confidently add that Eko Atlantic City has what it takes to drive tourism in Nigeria. And this is just as well, because while the role of the government will be to provide the enabling environment, the private sector will drive the growth of tourism.”
The Minister describe Eko Atlantic City as ‘a tourist haven’ capable of driving tourism in Nigeria.
He noted: “The city will boast of 450,000 residents and 300,000 commuters (daily), which is a boon for the myriad of businesses to be located in the city. In addition, it will have a registered Free Economic Zone to encourage economic activities. As you are also aware, shopping malls attract tourists the way bees are attracted to honey.
“The shopping mall here in Eko Atlantic will be the largest of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. The 10 million square metres of space in the city will also boast of an impressive retail layout for shopping, vast amenities for entertainment, such as food courts, cinemas and playgrounds, an ample parking space and a canal that can be used for water transportation and water sports.
“Nigerians who are looking for relaxation spots and exquisite shopping malls will no longer need to jet to Dubai and similar destinations, because Eko Atlantic City will be a better destination than Dubai,” the minister declared.
“This is not a joke! Whereas you can only comfortably soak in the sights and sounds of Dubai for a maximum of four months every year due to the prevailing inclement weather there, Eko Atlantic City offers – in addition to the massive shopping mall – 365 days of sunshine and clement weather.
“This is an added incentive for foreign tourists. In short, the city will have everything you need for tourism to thrive: security, modern infrastructure, good weather, uninterrupted power supply, potable water supply, etc,” he said.