The former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Minister of information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika are billed to attend this year’s National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) 41st Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at the Sheraton Hotel, Lagos.
The theme of the AGM is, Tourism in a Recessed Economy: The Way Forward and the former President, Obasanjo, who has been promoting local tourism is expected to speak on why Nigerians should visit all the tourism sites in Nigeria how Nigeria could use in-tourism to boost its GDP by showcasing boundless tourism sites located at different parts of the country.
Other notable personalities expected at the occasion are: the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Director General of Director General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Mrs Chika Balogun among others, former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and others.
The National President of NANTA, Mr Bankole Bernard disclosed this to newsmen at the weekend in Lagos to herald the coming of the AGM.
Bernard explained that the AGM is a non-elective one said ‘Tourism in a Recessed Economy: The Way Forward’, is apt because of the challenges in the industry, adding that the former Director General of NCAA would speak at the event from the public sector; government angle, while Bankole of Medview Airline would speak from the private sector perspective being an airline operator himself.
“We believe that the speakers will do justice to the theme at the 41st AGM “, adding that what the association is asking for the media’s unrelenting support to make the AGM a huge success. What NANTA is simply asking for is unrelenting support to make the AGM memorable one. We want the AGM to be an extraordinary one. It is going to be in our memory for a very long time,” he said.
Explaining further, the 1st Deputy President, NANTA Mrs Susan Akporiaye, stated that though the AGM is a one-day event, it would however be activities packed.
She added that the association took time to arrive at both the theme of the AGM and the speakers that would speak at the event.
She also mentioned banks, aviation agencies and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) as some of the business entities and government organisations expected at the forum.
On her part, the Vice President, Lagos Zone, Mrs Adeola Adewole, said that the essence of the AGM is to let government know that it has a lot to contribute to the development of tourism industry in the country, adding that the development of the industry requires collective efforts by all stakeholders.
She stated that the coming AGM would provide opportunity to discuss the way forward for tourism in the country.
