By Joyce Ekeh
Nigeria is moving to reposition tourism as a major engine of economic growth, job creation and investment, with the Federal Government seeking to adapt lessons from China’s transformation of the sector into a powerful economic and cultural tool.
Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, NIHOTOUR, Dr Abisoye Fagade, said yesterday that Nigeria was not short of tourism attractions but lacked the systems, skills, investment and institutional capacity required to turn its vast tourism assets into sustainable economic value.
Fagade spoke at a seminar on China’s Tourism Development Experience, organised by the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria in collaboration with NIHOTOUR and the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, NTDA, at the China Cultural Centre, Abuja.
He said China’s experience demonstrated how a well-developed tourism sector could drive economic growth while preserving culture, creating jobs, developing rural communities and improving the welfare of local people.
Fagade, who recently participated in a tourism development programme in Beijing, said Nigeria should learn from China’s success without attempting to replicate its model wholesale.
He said: “Nigeria does not lack tourism assets. What we must strengthen is the system that converts those assets into sustainable economic value.
“China’s experience should not be copied mechanically. We should learn from what China has done, adapt the lessons to Nigeria’s realities, and build a uniquely Nigerian tourism model.”
The NIHOTOUR boss said implementing the NIHOTOUR Act would also strengthen professionalism, skills development and standards across the hospitality and tourism industry.
According to him, tourism development requires more than showcasing attractions, stressing that Nigeria must build the human capital and institutional structures capable of delivering quality services and attracting investment.
“Our responsibility at NIHOTOUR is therefore not simply to train people. It is to help build the skilled workforce, professional culture and institutional capacity required to make tourism a serious contributor to the Nigerian economy,” he said.
Fagade called for stronger partnerships between Nigerian and Chinese tourism institutions, particularly the China Tourism Academy, to deepen cooperation in professional training, curriculum development, tourism research, digital transformation, rural and cultural tourism, destination management and knowledge exchange.
He said stronger Nigeria-China cooperation could help bring skills, investment and jobs into Nigeria’s tourism sector while supporting sustainable development.
Also speaking, Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, Yang Jianxing, said Nigeria and China possessed enormous potential for tourism cooperation because of their rich histories, diverse cultures and tourism resources.
Yang said China was ready to deepen tourism exchanges with Nigeria, describing tourism as a powerful bridge for strengthening relations between peoples and cultures.
He said China had accumulated valuable experience in public tourism services, destination development, the integration of culture and tourism, smart tourism, destination promotion and talent development.
“Tourism can create jobs and promote economic growth while bringing people from different countries closer through greater understanding of their cultures,” Yang said.
He said the seminar was aimed at moving beyond dialogue to practical cooperation and mutual learning between the two countries.
Yang noted that the event came as Nigeria and China mark 55 years of diplomatic relations and during the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
Representing the Director-General of NTDA, Dr Olayiwola Nurudeen Awakan, the Director of Human Resources Management, Mr Oladipo, said China’s emergence as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations offered Nigeria important lessons.
He said Awakan was unable to attend the seminar because he was in China on a working visit to engage tourism institutions and stakeholders on strengthening cooperation.
According to him, NTDA was particularly interested in China’s experience in strategic tourism planning, infrastructure development, investment promotion, destination branding, digital innovation, human capital development and public-private sector collaboration.
He said Nigeria and China could deepen cooperation in tourism investment, capacity building, destination development, cultural exchanges, research, innovation and increased tourist flows.
Oladipo said NTDA remained committed to working with NIHOTOUR, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria and other stakeholders to make Nigeria a more competitive, attractive and sustainable tourism destination.
He said: “Our engagement with China provides an opportunity to learn from a country that has successfully leveraged tourism for economic development, cultural preservation and job creation.”
He added that stronger cooperation would create opportunities for Nigerians to experience Chinese tourism while opening more avenues for Chinese visitors and investors to explore Nigeria’s tourism potential.
