A culture and tourism firm, Goge Africa, says it has concluded plans to establish a cultural training centre in Lagos in 2017.
Mrs Nneka Moses,the Managing Director of the company, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
Moses,also a television presenter, said that the centre was expected to start operations from July 2017.
“We have been long and planning for the training centre, but all necessary facilities have been put in place now,’’ she said.
The managing director said that the firm had been training youths in the past but not formally, adding that the centre was now a certified training institute.
“We have trained over 100 youths in culture and tourism programmes in the past.
“ Youths from Ghana and some other neighbouring countries have also benefited from the training in the past.
Moses named some of the courses to be offered when the centre takes off as: Tour Guide, Tour Packages, Media, Travel Agencies and Tourism Promotion, and Script Writing.
Others are Dancing, Drama, Drumming, Filming, Photography, Videoing and other related courses.
According to her, the training will hold in the morning and evening.
Moses urged the Federal Government to ensure that allocation to tourism in the 2017 budget was spent for the purpose intended.
The Goge Africa chief further urged government to as a matter of priority give attention to the development of infrastructure, especially in the tourism sector.
She also called for the upgrading of heritage sites and granting of loans to the private investors in the sector in 2017.
Moses further advised government to beef up security at local and international airports to attract tourists and to invest on the training and re-training of its security personnel.
She advised administrators on national festivals to package the festivals in line with the international standard to attract more tourists and investors into the country.
The managing director said that she had attracted millions of international tourists into Nigeria through her television programmes.
“I have been running my TV programme since 1999 and I have attracted several local and international tourists to the country’s tourism and heritage sites.
“ My TV programme is basically to promote African culture, lifestyle, fashion, tourism, heritage sites and arts across the country.’’
Moses also advised the government to work closely with the people at the grassroots to promote tourism, adding that the sector remained the only revenue generating alternative after oil.
“Government should take tourism sector seriously, other countries of the world have improved their economy through tourism.’’ (NAN)