African countries

African countries recommend Tourism: It had always been seen as an economic power

Tells Munzali Dantata, article by  FUNMI JOHNSON Posted at vanguardngr.com : Sunday, August 19, 2007

Alhaji Munzali Dantata is a lawyer by training with a Masters Degree in International Finance Law and has been active, not only in the legal field, but also in the tourism industry where he has been active in both the private and public sectors over the last 20 years. In this interview, Munzali calls on African countries to launch a sustainable campaign for their cultural festivals which he said is a unique way of selling Africa to the world. He also discusses the major challenge of the industry.

WHAT are the challenges you are faced with in the industry?
The major challenge was the fact that the industry was not recognized as an economic power, which it is. There are many countries in the world that build their economy around their tourism potentials and they try to attract as many tourists as possible. In Nigeria, it was relegated, especially with the merger of tourism with the culture as the same ministry, so they think tourism is just about parading some cultural groups or people at functions or locations which mostly belong to the state or federal government. Whereas, it goes beyond just having a cultural group performing at conferences. The industry should be in a position to create jobs and money for this country once it is well enhanced and  well packaged like we have in other countries.

Being a guru in tourism, what percentage of the economy will you say tourism is and what is the status of the industry in Nigeria presently?

Tourism was being viewed by many as being just a social activity but it is a business. It is an industry just like the oil industry, the insurance, banking, manufacturing and so on. It’s an industry and it’s a money spinner. There are some countries that depend on it for their foreign exchange and even government revenue. But, in Nigeria, because the oil industry spins a lot of money both for the government and for business people, so, industries, like tourism, are being relegated to the background. From the colonial period till independence, first it was commodities, that is, when Nigeria was exporting produce like groundnut, cocoa, rubber, tin and the rest of them.  By independence, oil had started becoming a factor which overtook the other commodities and it has dominated our economy ever since, even at certain times in the 80’s and 90’s, it was over 90 per cent of the revenue for government and also for foreign exchange.

How has the economic reforms impacted on the industry?
It has impacted positively because tourism is now attracting more attention both from the government and from the private sector, so we hope the tempo will be sustained and that tourism will take its rightful place in the economy because the truth is that tourism is a big industry and, as a matter of fact, the biggest employer of labour in the world.

Some industries like petroleum generates a lot of money but doesn’t generate a lot of jobs, because a few oil companies prospect and get the oil unlike the tourism industry that will create both wealth and jobs.

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