Stakeholders advocate for merger of culture, tourism ministries
Stakeholders have advocated the merger of the return of the two ministries (arts, culture and tourism) together.
Dr Anamah N’ben-ugo, acting Director, Cultural Industries and Heritage Department, Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, says the merger of Culture and Tourism Ministries would promote service delivery and economic growth.
N’ben-Ugo made stated this in an interview with reporters on Monday in Abuja. According to him, culture and tourism work side by side, adding that any separation can be counterproductive.
He added that tourism for now could not stand on its own because culture was the vehicle upon which it can thrive in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is blessed with much potential out of which culture and tourism stands out.
“As you know, we have different forms of tourism interests. Nigeria is blessed with much potential, out of which “culture tourism” stands out.
“Other potentials like sports tourism, medical tourism and even ecological tourism, form part of destinations Nigeria is known for, but all these cannot yield the much needed immediate input,” he said.
He said that culture-tourism showcased heritage tourism, religious tourism, trado-medical tourism, festival tourism and culture-diaspora tourism.
According to him, all these are embedded in culture; hence, the separation of tourism from culture is ill advised.
Stakeholders had likened the separation of the two ministries to having a woman giving birth to a child and handing him or her over to another woman to breastfeed.
NAN/S.S
