Minister: Nigeria fast becoming destination choice for tourists

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Minister: Nigeria fast becoming destination choice for tourists

By Joel ThankGod (In Abuja)

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (second right); Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Deaconess Grace Isu Gekpe (extreme right); President, Miss Polo International Beauty Pageant, Mrs. Ibife Alufolai (second left) and Special Assistant to the President on Information and Culture, Mr. Segun Adeyemi (extreme left) during the visit in Abuja:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that Nigeria is fast becoming a destination of choice for international tourists because of the favourable policies of the present administration.

The Minister made the remarks in Abuja, when he received the organisers and contestants of the Miss Polo International Beauty Pageant.

According to him, “There is no doubt that Nigeria is fast becoming a destination of choice for international tourists. Thanks to the country’s hospitable people, the country’s increasingly-high rating in the international community and the successes achieved by the present Administration in ensuring the security of lives and property, as well as providing the such infrastructure as power, roads, and rail.”

He added, ”The Administration’s Visa On Arrival policy is also helping in making Nigeria a destination of choice for tourists and business people in general. The Federal Government would continue to pursue those policies that are fast turning Nigeria into a destination of choice. Enhancing security, building infrastructure, implementing the tourism master-plan, and strengthening the Visa On Arrival Policy”.

Alhaji Mohammed went on, “Just before the Beauty Pageant, Nigeria hosted high profile international events such as the UN World Tourism Organisation-Commission for Africa Meeting, which was attended by Tourism Ministers and representatives from 51 African countries, as well as the World Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI), which attracted journalists and editors from around the world”.

He continued, “The recent surprise visit by President Emmanuel Macron of France to the African Shine in Lagos, also confirmed that Nigeria is now set to receive global tourists”.

The Minister said from the testimonies of the participants at the UNWTO-CAF Meeting and the IPI World Congress, it was clear that what they saw when they visited Nigeria is totally at variance with what they may have heard or read about the country.

In her remarks, the President of the Miss Polo International Beauty Pageant, Mrs. Ibife Alufohai, said the pageantry is not just about beauty but also to recognise excellence in creativity and community service, particularly in improvement of the quality of education by the beauty queens in their individual countries.