NIGERIAN Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has
thrown its weight behind the move of the management of Yaba College of
Technology, Lagos to establish a Tourism Village in Epe, Lagos State.
Director General of NTDC, Chief Dr (Mrs) Sally Mbanefo,
while addressing the 5-man delegation from the foremost college of technology
in Nigeria commended the initiative of the institution to establish a tourism
village, which according to her, will enhance better and practical
understanding of the course in the institution.
"This is a good development in the educational
sector. We need to accord good attention to the study of tourism, not only in
tertiary institutions, but right from the primary schools.
"To ensure true and rapid development and promotion
of tourism in Nigeria, with domestic tourism as a catalyst, we must consciously
infuse tourism interest in the minds of young ones, right from their primary
school days.
"We will intensify efforts at incorporating tourism
in the academic curriculum in Nigeria. We will achieve this in collaboration
with the Ministry of Education," Dr Mbanefo disclosed.
The NTDC boss who stressed the need to educate young
ones in Nigeria on tourism, culture and tradition revealed that domestic
tourism development and promotion are keys to a sustainable wealth and job
creation, integration of culture and encouragement of unity in Nigeria.
"I am passionately promoting domestic tourism to
empower local government at the grassroots level, create jobs at local
governments, reduce urban migration, encourage integration of culture within
Nigeria and to encourage unity," Dr Mbanefo added.
She charged the management of the institution to ensure
that practical is given high priority over theory during the course of study of
the students.
Hon. Philip Olabode Aivoji, member of the Governing Council
of the institution, who led the 5-man delegation earlier in his speech commended
the efforts and activities of the NTDC boss, which according to him, are geared
towards true and lasting development of tourism in Nigeria.
Hon Aivoji said: "We believe in Dr Mbanefo's
domestic tourism initiative as a viable catalyst to national development,
creation of wealth and job, especially at the grassroot levels, and we have
been busy instilling it into our students. Studying tourism guarantees
self-reliance. This is because you can stand on your own, becoming a tour
guide, for instance."
The Head of Department of Leisure and Tourism Department
of the institution, Mr Okunlola Gabriel, who corroborated Hon Aivohi's
submission disclosed that the school management wanted to expand the department
and move it to the permanent site in Epe, Lagos State.
Department of Leisure and Tourism of Yaba College of
Technology according to the HOD was created in 2007.
"We plan to promote Nigeria's local dishes, hence
we made it part of our curricular," Okunlola said.
Ensuring timely actualisation of the establishment of
the Tourism Village, Dr Mbanefo set up a planning committee, which comprise of
directors, deputy directors and members of the delegation from the institution.
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