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Conference of Tourism Practitioners and Politics in US
By Frank Meke
It is becoming evident that Nigerian tourism future can only be secured if the practitioners take to some measured steps of political faith to save the sector from scavengers.
Today, and possibly in the nearest future, we shall carefully put on the public space, certain individual or collective efforts to determine the course to which the tourism and travel multi billion dollars sector, must shape up in Nigeria.
It is said and rightly admitted that man is a political animal, and to the best that one can remember, this run rings around our perception to contribute to the development of our nation, starting from our immediate localities and environment. Tourism is about the totality of humanity, the desires,the peace and tranquility and growth potentials.
This definitely finds bearing to the fact that our tourism sites, history, tradition , culture and hospitality, starts from our homes, villages and kindred.
Years ago, I had visited my kindred, having been born outside the environment and wanted to study my roots. Who is where and why we speak in a tongue, different from others in same geographical area yet can relate well, why same breathe in the good of others, culture differing yet makes meaning in the collective gatherings of multi layer culture conference and interestingly, acceptable and welcomed by others.
It was a huge experience, fact to fact to communial development, that within those circumstances and differences, the melting point, remains the progressive desire to benchmark improvements in socioeconomic development of the individual and people.
The research work, birthed a process, a history of my people, not from my Diaspora understanding but fueled through deep interactions and discussions with my uncles and relations, most who sadly had left this earthly space.
Today, that piece of cultural and historical narrative of my people, has become a living mobile library to anyone who need to know about my kindred, our forebearers, their thoughts on economy, culture, tradition, customs and even religious beliefs.
As wont with the republican nature of my people, the work was subjected to serious historical and cultural heritage interrogation, and at the end, became a bridge to further studies of our people.
This reminds me of what is actually playing out in tourism community recently. Interestingly, there are those who are quick to join voices to issues beyond their comprehension, to subjective interpretations and analysis and at the end, muddle the waters of our tourism Jordan.
About two weeks ago, Samson Akpata Nunayon , a young man, who possibly may shape lagos tourism space if he keeps his head out unnecessary tension, sent me a message. He heads Association of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, lagos chapter and also runs an online radio programme on tourism.
He told me of his intention to build a coalition of tourism practitioners across board to politically measures out the industry’s strength and also audit certain tourism benefits to lagos practitioners.
Having permitted him to give me the profiles of like minds to this conference of tourism influencers, it is positively implicative that one is supportive of the tourism political engineering to which Apkata canvassed.
How this process fared and may likely influence tourism opinion and including the lagos government tourism action plans, going forward, will pan out in the next administrative circle in lagos soon.
However, the conference of lagos based tourism practitioners seriously deepens the importance of protecting the tourism space and ecosystem with right people, experienced hands, thus engendering strategic growth of the sector.
No doubt, head hunting for the best tourism heads, with capacity, credibility and professionalism has never borne the signature of industry players.
Let me make exception to certain facts which again, placed lagos above peer scrutiny of political leadership across Nigeria and in tourism decisions, excitedly captures senior Ministry of Tourism administrators with focal Intel on tourism or related activities.
Of the lot, though retired were Ashamu fadipe, Dr Babatunde Mesewaku and presently Mrs Oyinade Nathan Mash. Dr Mesewaku retired but actively coordinates certain tourism thoughts in lagos. Nathan Mash is another kettle of intelligent expression and a grit in wisdom and fortitude. How these influenced tourism directions in lagos, is for another day.
It must be noted that the silent revolution, still in the works began with Awori festival which held in lagos late last year. Lagos governor, Babajide sanwo-0lu, was visible at the event, attended by the Professor King of Awori land, Oba Obalenlege, the economic horse powers of Awori land led by Olawale Cole, and other key influencers in Awori land.
Omoba Femi Fadina, chairman of the hugely successful festival, took to strategic Awori community sociopolitical interventions, massively deployed it and gave Awori nation their rightful place in the history of lagos.
At the Ikeja police college ground, it was absolutely certain and amazing what the thought and determination of one individual, could help to achieve for Cultural tourism in Awori land and in lagos state.
Prince Femi Fadina, didn’t just bury his head to grounds because of the challenges which comes with developmental milestones. He at every cross road, thought out of the box, connected with the Awori elders at various sociopolitical leanings, aggressively husbanded their strength and leverages, quick to deploy field experiences and Nuggets of cultural tourism achievements across the world to break down irritations to the birth of Awori festival.
These are cheering tourism political engineering statements and to which buffets fears to the possible coalition of efforts in this regard.
My fear is however legion in the sense, that we harbour trepidation, anger and mistrust against the few who wish to break away from the pedestrian summation of the industry, but if a window of opportunity beckons to their selfish gains, they come in their large numbers to foul the air.
By May this year, we shall possibly be having new and returning political leaders at each stages of our political direction. Are we ready to process opportunities, deploy same to change our tourism narratives?
What role do we play to either support or actualize the reality? Are we waiting for invitation to present long speeches and eat at high tables? To dress tourism in long beautiful ropes yet quick to run down the few who as presently sticking out their necks to enthrone measures of tourism politicking?.
Though am ftan centric, it cheering to note that the private sector tourism practitioners apex body, has not called out anyone out to public space for holding burgeoning interest to mobilize like minds to process tourism political reach for growth and development.
Gbenga Sumonu, Victor kayode, Dr Babatunde Mesewaku and many others who took to political presence for tourism in lagos, and in doing ,shown capacity and dedication.
Femi Fadina, beyond Awori festival is top material for tourism representation in lagos state. Akpata Nunayon Samson, is a lion. If you need a mobilizer in lagos tourism, then Akpata fits. But in all these, the worries of sustainability of strategic action plans, is still missing.
Ftan leadership during the last year celebration of World Tourism Day in lagos, made unforgettable statement, adopted a blue print and showcased the power of a united industry. Can the conference of lagos based tourism practitioners seriously deepen that process?
In bringing change to societal pressures and dislocations, few faces and people chicken out. It is human and their right indeed but to those who have made up their minds to process opportunities and thermotify inclusiveness to drive actuality and reality of tourism to national development, we encourage them to sing their songs. One day soon, we shall dance our tourism dance, Godwilling.
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that the North will, in the next six months, take a stand on who to support for the presidency in 2027.
He boasted that no politician can win the presidency in 2027 without the support of the region.
In a video interview he granted in Hausa language, Baba-Ahmed, who appeared alongside a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, lamented the state of the nation and urged northerners to resist divisive and deceptive politicians ahead of the next general elections.
He said: “In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands. If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way. One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support.
“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them. After Buhari’s eight years, we became wiser. Now, we are in another government, and we are still crying. Is crying all we know how to do?” Baba-Ahmed asked.
According to the former presidential aide, the North has suffered greatly during the Boko Haram insurgency, which affected all groups, Muslims, Christians, Fulani, Baju, and others, highlighting the need for unity.
“Before Buhari became president, Boko Haram was bombing mosques, churches, Abuja, and Lagos. That was a time Northerners had to unite. Today, no politician can just show up and expect Northerners to fall in line. Who are you?” he questioned.
He therefore warned against further marginalization of the North, noting that continued disregard for the region would have consequences.
“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria. The North is watching, elders, masses, and interest groups will soon say “enough is enough ‘. The injustice and sidelining must stop.
Baba-Ahmed urged the northern region to look beyond identity politics, stressing that competence and integrity should guide voter decisions.
“We are tired of being deceived into voting based on religion or ethnicity. That era is over. We just want a right leader, we just want someone who will solve our problems,” he said.
Telecommunications giant, Globacom, has charged Christians to embrace the virtues that Christ preached as the 2025 Easter celebrations hold this weekend.
While congratulating Christians in Nigeria in a goodwill message released from its Lagos Head Office on Thursday, Globacom admonished them to imbibe the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
According to Glo, “Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”
Globacom charged all Nigerians to espouse the lessons of selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society and called on all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
The company praised their perseverance through the 40-day Lenten period which comes before Easter as it emphasized the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
Easter comes yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of unhindered voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
Dear Destiny Friends,
Every human being loves to get approval, either for the great work they have done or the ones they are doing. They love to be appreciated and admired. They also love to be given attention when they have something valuable to say or do. In all of these, one thing is certain, there is something special about us, and this special thing makes one unique, and ultimately attracts people to us.
Let’s face it, nobody will admire you, appreciate you, approve you and give you attention if you don’t have anything to offer. The reason most people associate with someone is because they feel or know there’s something they can gain from the person. It’s hard for someone to relate closely with someone who they don’t see potential value in.
There is no doubt each and everyone of us is unique, yes, there’s something unique about you. You can sing, you can write, you can dance, you can lead, you can serve, you can cook, etc. One can even be a good actor, athlete, comedian, or preacher. The list is literally endless. Now, what’s unique about you?
When you discover what’s unique about you, please do all within your reach to nurture and develop it. One day, the right person, who truly appreciates and knows your value will celebrate you.
I have a friend who is exceptionally skilled in writing and developing creative contents. I call him a genius because he can literally write a book within a week. How he does it is what I don’t understand. I was surprised when he once told me he wrote a book and manuscript in one week. According to him, he has been developing the contents mentally, but hasn’t found time to put his thoughts together, and when he finally gets his thoughts together, he was able to write the book and manuscript. This is a typical way of knowing a unique being.
Many, however, do not know what’s unique about them. We focus our energy chasing what is not chasing us instead of focusing on developing what we already have. It’s sad to see young and old people living their lives in an unintentional manner with a belief that somehow lines, favour or opportunities will fall in place for them.
Sometimes, we rely on other people’s affirmation and opinion, and accept it as our fate. For instance, just because one is tall, he might be told he will be a great fit for basketball without considering if the athlete loves basketball; again, just because someone is very intelligent, his parents will encourage him to major in a particular discipline, which is perceived as lucrative without considering if the person likes it pr not.
I once experienced this fate when my late dad inspired me to study taxation law in New York Law School, a major I detest with passion. It was like a suicidal mission for me because I do know, it will take miracle to graduate from the program. How I was able to get a scholarship for my grades and graduate in record time is a story for another day. I’m not wired as a finance person, I will better serve humanity in the social and developmental space where my skills, talents, gift and passion will be better utilized. And ever since I joined the space, I have seen results.
There are many cases where many people lose their identities without knowing they are unique. We are all unique in our individual ways. Just like there are several gifts and talents, we have different skills. When you know what’s unique about you, you will stand out and the world will not only appreciate you, but will celebrate you.
When one discovers the power of their uniqueness, we will gather strength to unleash it to the world. Uniqueness works in several ways. For instance, the mere fact that ten people are genius, talented, skillful or valuable in a particular work, the person with the unique gift is the person who will not only stand out, but will be called upon to do the work.
Let me share more insight. If ten people sing a particular song with a great voice, the person who is called to be a singer will receive a unique appreciation because he/she is working on purpose. That is why it is easy to see a lot of people venturing into a particular form of business, but the favour of the business will not locate them because they are not uniquely destined to do business.
Few years ago, one of my mentors shared a deep insight with me. He said that, as a trained medical doctor, he once observed that despite the fact there are hundreds and thousands of medical doctors practicing their profession. One fateful day, he noticed a particular patient was not responding to treatment despite all the medication that had been given to him by a nurse, his health was deteriorating, then another nurse came and administered the same pill a nurse gave the patient, and the patient began to feel better. What does that tell you? The second nurse was probably working in her purpose which aligns with her profession, and as such the corresponding success. This goes to show that when one is unique, it has a way of robbing off on their work.
Furthermore, he stated that Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and Beyonce are some of the gifted singers and dancers the world has ever celebrated. He went on to say that we have hundreds and thousands of musicians, but only a few have got the spotlight.
What does that tell you? When you are unique, the world will celebrate you. I have understood that the fastest way to get recognition in life is to work in areas where one’s strength and unique gift will better serve the purpose. This is simply because the world does not celebrate one’s weakness, rather, the world celebrates one’s strength.
In recent times, I have seen myself as a counselor and human inspiration. My counseling skills have enabled me to influence people to live positive lives. Overtime, I have realized that when people share their burden with me, they feel relieved after speaking with me. What amazes me most is the fact that even my elders feel comfortable to relate with me on a cordial basis. Maybe, I have a unique gift for counseling and educating.
Today, I am going to charge you to focus your energy and time on whatever will bring you the highest satisfaction. Even if you are looking for a job, applying for school, or seeking any opportunity, your focus should be centered on what you have that the job, school or opportunity will amplify. When you do so, you will be in high demand.
In conclusion, please affirm to yourself today, I am a unique being with a unique personality, purpose and gift.
Say to yourself, ‘I am original’, and refuse to be fake.
Again confess that your originality, authenticity and uniqueness will attract favours, blessings, opportunities from leaders and queens to you, and you will be celebrated.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
