In response to the economic challenges exacerbated by recent fuel subsidy removals in Nigeria, a tourism expert, Dr. Tobi Bernard Thomas has called on President Bola Tinubu to prioritise tourism as a means to alleviate poverty in the country.
Speaking at a cultural event in Kaduna, Thomas highlighted the economic benefits of tourism, including generating income and revenue for the government and local communities alike.
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC )Economic Impact Report released in 2022, Nigeria’s tourism is expected to create 2.6 million new jobs over the next decade, doubling the number of those employed within the sector by 2032.
The WTTC’s forecast showed that an average of nearly 260,000 new jobs would be created every year for the next 10 years, to reach more than 5.1 million.
The country’s travel and tourism sector contribution to GDP is forecast to grow at an average rate of 5.4 percent between 2022 and 2032, significantly outpacing the three per cent growth rate of the overall economy, the report noted.
This would catapult the sector’s contribution to GDP to nearly N2.3 trillion by 2032, representing 4.9 per cent of the total economy.
Speaking at the event on Sunday, March 10, Thomas urged the government to integrate tourism into its poverty reduction strategies, emphasising the sector’s potential to foster rural development and social progress.
He said; “It is advisable, especially at a time like this that the country is going through so many challenges; ranging from economic hardship and insecurity, the government should adopt tourism as a means to reduce insecurity in the country, and also use tourism to drive the economy of the nation.
“Many development plans accept that tourism contributes significantly to economic growth, and if the government can properly invest in tourism, it will promote more and better jobs for inclusive growth, jobs and skills for youth, decent work in the rural economy, as well as contributing to the formalisation of the informal economy and enhancing productivity.
“Tourism provides opportunities for local people to increase their individual income through multiple types of jobs, some paying more than occupations that are not related to the tourism industry.”
