TheCable

It was unexpected, a bombshell and the impact very affective but not devastating. Folarin Coker, the Director General of Nigeria Tourism Corporation (NTDC) has moved the government tourism regulatory agency into the octopus fold of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA).

It is now official, waiting for stamping of administrative reality. NTDC is now a corporate member of Nanta and this may change a lot of things in the sector.

The move which is more than symbolic of NTDC operational relationship with the private sector is geared towards breaking walls between government and the private sector, a trend that may lubricate and push the dream of taking tourism business back to the people under coker’s watch at NTDC.

At his first meeting with any organized private sector tourism association, Folarin Coker’s years of political sojourn came into play as he led Bankole Bernard and his executive members of NANTAanta made up of Susan Akporarie, Malik Hassan, Zackari Abdullahie, Rabo Saleh and Sylvester Oloboh into a heart to heart secret unfolding of his tourism action plans which may completely redefine of the status of new tourism capitals in Nigeria, relationship with governors, the creative and culture sector and a blanket aggression to pull Abuja carnival into the public space and oxygenate the entire domestic tourism business through the first ever Nigeria Travel Market.

The eyeball to eyeball tourism meeting was frank and both parties pledged to share the gains and pains. Though NANTA came with a shop list put together through intense debate and experience of operational wind flow, the association’s desire under Bankole is to see that tourism in Nigeria comes back to the people and an NTDC that understands the demands of the time, willing to be challenged and ready to prove through research, documentation and statistics that tourism economy can thrive in Nigeria, also pay bills and employ young Nigerians.

BB, Susan Akporarie, Deputy president, Nanta and Coker

That road show though “leaked” to NANTA, placed upon the association the burden of changing the minds and business orientation of its over six thousands plus membership across the nation; a figure that NTDC under Coker would want to drive to achieve an immediate impact and also enthrone a tourism starting block to the race of making Nigeria Africa’s preferred tourism destination.

Exclusive to this reporter is the high mix of having a huge platform to bring together all the variables and business templates from motoring, boating, hotels, airlines, manufacturers, telecoms, shipping, fashion and other core investments and investors to reposition and oxygenate the biggest travel market in Africa. That dream outing which could also rob off on Nigeria diplomacy and immigration new rules will be brokered with NANTA as a veritable partner, at least they (NANTA) also dreamt of putting Nigeria on the world travel market map.

If South Africa which presently drives Indaba and world travel market to help showcase tourism business font and change the narrative of e-tourism commerce in that region, Nigeria with its over 200 million population and a west coast business start-ups that wish to get noticed, will quickly fast track domestic tourism and create tourism jobs within established core areas and the downstream sector.

The review of NTDC laws and a public hearing to ensure that the private sector contributes to its perfection also rank high on NANTA request and to which Folarin Coker concurs. In all NTDC and NANTA seems to be on same page on some of the ills and solutions to revise the sector but how the table talk and assurances can quickly grow the new Nigerian tourism map will soon be tested, as the cat is out of the bag, and we hope Folarin Coker can get Nigeria to sing “One Nigeria, Love Nigeria”.