By Frank Meke

There is no doubt that Minister of Tourism, Madam Lola Ade-John would need good and experienced hands to navigate the Nigerian tourism ocean. It is a war-like situation, a national tourism emergency campaign, and if we ignore it, we perish.

It’s indeed, a matter of serious concern that she must intentionally get into the grove on the right side of the business and the first thing to do is to evaluate the human capacity availability needed to drive the process.

Madam Lola Ade John is on the short take in this area and there’s no denying that it’s a huge burden. So how do the industry and the federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria help?

However there are those who may point to the existence of ntda and Nihotour, the only two agencies the ministry of tourism inherited from the old Ministry of Information, culture and national orientation. How that even came to be is a subject for another day, but be it as it may, both Nihotour and ntda have their own short supply of adequate and competent manpower.

It’s critical to also access, evaluate and determine the quality of staff needed to engage properly and deliver on the national tourism space.

We have seen some kind of presidency expectations and target deliverables from other Ministries with performance bonds signed by ministers and their subordinates trailing their target assessments and expected contributions to socioeconomic advancement of the country

Yes, our madam minister was not on the field when those processes were made the face of performance ecosystem by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it however does not mean that Tourism was exempted from being one of new economies calibrated to create jobs and empower the people.

Madam Lola Ade John must first let us know the expectations of this administration on the basis of those two economic deliverables, the tourism jobs to be provided yearly and other empowerment metrics for Nigerian people.

How much can tourism generate to the economy in material terms and value, including jobs openings and rural development in six months, one year or so on?

What drives it and how much do the ministry need in from each budget circle to deliver on the national expectations?

Indeed tourism budgeting is unique in its own and sometimes difficult to defend due the variables associated with its profiling.

So madam Lola Ade John needs serious help to engage all the needed enablers to power the sector to certain realities that can excite the president and Nigerians at large.

It would be suicidal to just leap frog into the dynamics of the sector, with unknown portfolio shenanigans or be influenced with eurocentric blue prints as no tourism development and marketing plan bears same stamp of sensibilities.

Honestly, it would have been a step in the right direction if those who managed our tourism issues in the old contraption, did have a hold on its metrics or rubrics. Unfortunately, they failed and that’s why when president Buhari came with his brooms, he found am empty cupboard in the tourism ministry and swept us into the information conundrum.

If I were madam Lola Ade John, I will be circumspect when the ” left over staff” from the old ministry put forward memos to me. Seriously, I doubt if our minister apart from inheriting ntda and nihotour, really have any serious well trained and exposed tourism hands to run the ministry.

At the on set of the creation of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture during President Obasanjo era, ntdc( I doubt the wisdom behind ntda) had some of the best industry technocrats. Then we could count and rely on the wisdom and expertize of Mr Christopher idu, irrepressible John Adzer, and Bade Adelegbe

These gentlemen are still alive today and made a ntdc the dream government tourism agency. I recall that our first minister, late Ojo maduekwe relied on the competence and administrative knowledge of Christopher idu to flourish the set up that ministry.

Two decades after or more, the scenario has changed. Ntdc ( ntda) has lost the services of the experienced and upright technocrats either due retirement windows or outright neglect to expose the staff to training and restraining opportunities.

In this business, highly dynamic and scientifically evolutionary due to various socioeconomic, political and health variables, some unpredictable, training and consistent retraining of tourism personnel within and outside the country should top sustainable industry management ecosystem.

Unfortunately, that muddled up the human capacity requirements and availability in government tourism circles, particularly between 2013 till date.

Ntdc ( ntda) which used to be the hunting grounds for experts has been run aground by the most despicable political elements appointed and selected to run its affairs since 2013.

I need not waste my ink to state that madam Lola Ade John should not waste valuable time, hoping that the leopard at ntda will bear any tourism magic. He aren’t got the will or zeal to bring about anything worthwhile.

The guy is a time waster and should be ignored and allowed to mark out his remaining ten months in office in his delusional prison. What a shame!

It is ok for the minister to confess that the assignment will be tasking since she doesn’t have the background, it is worrisome that the permanent secretary is also a freshie. That not withstanding, both can search out for competent and tested hands on tourism with civil service orientation to help bear directions and organize development strides.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is showing example in this regard, wooing experts and hunting for their experience to bring about solutions to our national problems.

Apart from the Bade Adelegbe, Christopher idu and John Adzer, earlier mentioned, Ashamu fadipe , a former tourism centric permanent secretary in Lagos ministry of Tourism with deep academic and practical exposure to local and international tourism development can be invited either on a short or long term as consultant to calibrate the ministry.

Before I am accused of shopping for jobs for these guys and others, it’s also important for madam minister to sit down with ftan to look at the private sector for those with verifiable experience and deliveries on tourism matters and tap from their successful blueprints and abilities.

If madam minister fails to get the best hands, independent minds to help her navigate this process, then we shall be back again to the tourism wilderness conundrum and we have ourselves to blame, not the president or the devil either.