Nigeria takes centre stage at Arabian Travel Market - Yar'Adua tourism vision on front page of ATM Newspapers - DG NTDC meets ex-Senegalese President - Secures space for Nigeria at Global Village

By Wale Ojo-Lanre

Arrowed; the Nigerian story on the front page
of ATM newspaperHONESTLY, you would be proud to be a Nigerian had it been you were at the just concluded Arabian Travel Market held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on May 6 - 9, 2008.

In fact, your head would continue to swell as Nigeria did not only take the centre stage of discussion but its delegates were accorded the best of honour and recognition during the international travel fair that was attended by almost all tourism-inclined countries of the world.

Although, Nigeria did not have a stand in Dubai but the manner and approach with which the Nigerian delegates headed by the nation’s chief tourism marketing officer, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, DG, NTDC, handled the situation endeared Nigeria as a nation to the participating countries despite having no stand.

Otunba Olusegun Runsewe eloquently and in sequential order analysed the tourism vision of President Umaru Yar’Adua to the ATM distinguished personalities. He said “My President, Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua has an agrarian passion for the development of tourism in Nigeria. And as an intellectual who does not believe in cosmetic and short-lasting development, he has directed us to participate in this all-important tourism fairs with the view of not sight-seeing or exhibition but be involved in the process of understudying the mechanism and logistic of the tourism greatness of Dubai."

Otunba Runsewe explored the brief moment to sell Nigeria to the powerful organisers of ATM which drew a loud applause and favourable comments about Nigeria. “Permit me to say that Nigeria as a country is a land of the most hospitable people in the world. It is a country of immense material and human resources waiting to be explored. Most of the negative reports about my country are fable creation of the media which are not in tandem with the reality on ground and this can not be divorced form the pull-her-down conspiratory theory of the so-called developed nations. Tourism like it is life in Dubai is life in Nigeria and we are coming back for a full two weeks understudy of how you have been able to accelerate the development of tourism in this country. Well done, we shall all be there to the glory of our great country.”

The speech made by Otunba Runsewe was so powerfully respected and commended that an excerpt of it was used with the picture of Otunba Runsewe on the front page of the ATM newspaper the next day. The message of the DG which was boldly printed on the front page dominated business discussion throughout the event as the very few Nigerians who attended the fair were treated with honour and respect unlike other fairs where Nigerians are always looked down upon with suspicion.

Otunba Runsewe presents a mat with the
inscription greetings from Nigeria to Sheikh.The credibility established by the DG for Nigeria cultivated to him corporate invitations and goodwill for investments in Nigeria. Impressed by the conduct of the DG, the Nigeria delegates were invited on a sight-seeing tour of the only seven star hotel in the World, Burj AL Arab, where they met the former President of Senegal and ex-AU Chairman, Alfa Umar Konare.

In a discussion with Otunba Runsewe, the ex-AU Chairman said he was happy to read the vision of Nigeria concerning tourism in the ATM Newpaper. “I was happy to read in the ATM Magazine, this morning your country’s vision about tourism. I am particularly happy that President Umar Yar’Adua is showing real concern about this goldmine. I am saying this because Senegal is a tourism economy and if Nigeria can be tenacious about the vision, the sky will be the beginning for your country. This is because with your oil, cocoa and other resources, and with tourism, your country will be great and your people will be happy because tourism is gold.”

He urged President Yar’Adua to continue giving tourism a priority. “For your country has been making steady progress in tourism in the last 16 months and we hope you will not relent on your oars. With your large resources, population, abundant tourism ingredients and your clout in the comity of nations, if you continued with this tempo, your country will be one of the best destinations in the world.”

Otunba Runsewe assured Konare of the commitment of President Yar’Adua to the blossoming of tourism in Nigeria. “Our President, Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua sees tourism as a potent agent of empowerment, wealth creation, development and employment generation, hence he has put tourism on the priority list"

The Director-General also made a breakthrough for Nigeria at the ATM when he had a business discussion with the Global Village executives. Kelly Afflick, Senior Manager, Pricing and Packages, Global Village had earlier expressed fear over the non-participation of Nigeria at the Global Village Project.

“We have been expressing fear that Nigeria, the biggest country in Africa and the pride of the continent will not have a plot of reference at the Global Village, but we were impressed by the tourism vision of your president as pungently delivered by you. We are convinced that Nigeria is taking giant steps at becoming the Africa best destination and we will be in partnership with your dream.”

The Global Village Project Manager conducted the DG on a tour of village where some smaller African countries have acquired plots of Reference. At the end of the tour, Otunba Runsewe informed that Nigeria would be interested in acquiring a plot of reference whereby the unique Nigerian culture, pristine artifacts and tourism sites will be on display for the rest of the world to see. He informed the Global Village Project management that he would be revisiting Dubai with a team of Nigerian tourism practitioners for a two-week understudy of tourism.