Hannatu Musawa, minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, at the new presidential villa, Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort
In a bid to harness the full potential of the tourism industry and also to make it to count in the economy, the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, has introduced an innovative initiative.
Tagged ‘Destination 2030’, the initiative, according to Hannatu Musawa, minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, is a project of the ministry aimed at repositioning Nigeria in the eyes of the world.
Offering the rationale for the initiative, the minister, who has been meeting and engaging with the relevant stakeholders and sister government agencies to turn things around in the tourism sector, noted that the country has enormous potential that would woo global tourists to her shores, if harnessed.
Musawa, who spoke volumes on the tourism potential during the Destination 2030 Data Platform Strategic Retreat held at John McGee Hall in Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort and Conference Centre, Ekiti State, recently, noted further that country has enthralling natural and man-made attractions that need to be packaged and marketed to the world, hence the Destination 2030 initiative.
Explaining further, the minister disclosed that the project is one of the core eight initiatives of the Renewed Hope Cultural and Tourism Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
“We want to use our cultural, creative and tourism assets to create contents. The interest is in Nigeria, and when you talk about that content, our beautiful landscapes and the beaches. Just the beauty of nature in Nigeria adds to that content that you speak of the country,” she said.
“We want to use Destination 2030 to change the mindset of people and the global community as to what Nigeria is. Part of that story and journey is to use a destination such as Ikogosi Resort as a rallying point to bring people into Nigeria to experience and change their mindset as to who we are as a people.
“We want to position Ikogosi as a flagship destination for both domestic and international tourists. I want to thank Mr. President because of his prompting and mandate that he has given that we must deliver this to the Nigerian people,” Musawa said.
The minister, who also used the retreat platform to inaugurate the state-of-the-art Presidential Villa at the Ikogosi resort, disclosed the ministry is intentional in working with the private sector in developing and harnessing tourism potential in Nigeria.
She pledged that the ministry would work with Cavista Holdings — the parent company of Glocient Hospitality, the concessionaire and manager of Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort and Conference Centre, in developing and promoting the site as a global destination.
“We want to deliver places like Ikogosi not just as local attractions, but as holistic tourist destinations that can compete globally. That means infrastructure, especially road access, must be a priority,” she said.
The minister, who arrived Ekiti State for the retreat through Akure, expressed her excitment for enjoying the scenic drive to Ikogosi. Observing that poor road conditions from major hubs remain a major deterrent for potential visitors, she assured of the federal government commitment towards tackling the challenge.
“The federal government is committed to ensuring the provision of much-needed infrastructure, particularly easier access to the resort to help it thrive. Discussions are already underway to facilitate this.
“I have already started discussions with the state government and, of course, other MDAs through inter-ministerial collaboration, to ensure that access to Ikogosi become much easier. We want people coming from Lagos to be able to fly directly into Ado-Ekiti and then drive a shorter distance to the resort,” Musawa stated.
She noted that spotlighting unique destinations like Ikogosi, rather than the country as a whole, should be a model, which is similar to how international tourists recognised places like Cancun in Mexico.
“We want to sell Nigerian tourism through the lens of specific destinations. When people think of going to Ikogosi, they should want to go there like they would want to go to Bali or Santorini.
“Nobody has to go out of Nigeria to experience peace, beauty, and nature. If you want a retreat, if you want tranquility and luxury in one place, Ikogosi offers that. The natural beauty here, the mystique of the warm and cold springs, and the care in developing this resort make Ikogosi a powerful starting point,” Musawa explained.
