Wednesday, 12 December 2018

TOURISM INDUSTRY CAN VOMIT THE JOBS SECURELY LOCKED BY IT


By Nnabugwu Chizoba


Nigeria is proclaimed the giant of Africa. Reasons abound for this. Consider her population, the numerous God endowed natural resources scattered in different forms and at various locations. The same is true for the talents and skills of her citizens that has become manifest in every facet of human endeavor. The country is blessed with waterfalls, Hills, forests, mangroves and different species of animals. She is also blessed with very beautiful people. Nigeria is blessed with several tribes, cultures and over 200 languages spoken by the different ethnic groups and nationalities. Each ethnic nationality is well endowed and specially gifted in craft.
While visitors into the country wonder if nature is partial to their countries, Nigerians have not seized to ponder if their huge natural endowments will ever be exploited for their benefits. The huge natural resource endowments notwithstanding, Nigeria is faced with high unemployment rate; rising poverty and dilapidated infrastructure that has led to loss of skills, resulting to various forms of ill treatment and degradation. The inherent danger from this very deplorable and appalling state of affairs can be imagined. Some of which are already manifest and include all sorts of tension that insecurity, suicide and massive movement of citizens to less endowed countries have brought upon the country and her citizens.

The major challenge therefore is what to do to quickly mop up the consistently growing number of able bodied youths roaming the streets, without any meaningful means of survival.

Bemoaning the deplorable situation is not a solution. The three tiers of government, well-to-do citizens, and the multi-nationals whose operations are the likely targets if the nation is visited with the consequences of harboring large number of educated but unemployed, malnourished, idle, hungry and hostile looking citizens, mostly the youths, must rise up and tap into the can-do-spirit and skillful hands of young Nigerian entrepreneurs to develop the tourism industry. The opportunities in the industry are huge. What is lacking is the will to do the right things.

It is wrong, indeed inhuman to allow the tourism industry to continue locking job opportunities that Nigerians are suppose to enjoy. In view of this, I raise my voice in the genuine demand that the tourism industry must vomit the various job creation and wealth generation opportunities securely locked by it. If you feel same join me in this call.

Before I end this piece I feel strong to press that the various tiers of government in Nigeria must identify their specific roles in the development of tourism in Nigeria, play them to arouse the interest and business acumen of the numerous well-meaning Men and Women in Nigeria to step out for the  development of all the body of “Must visit tourism locations" for the long awaited Destination Nigeria Project that world tourists are patiently waiting to embrace.

Till I come again…..

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