The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has expressed its determination of turning the site of over hundred years old Iroko Tree in Igbobi-Sabe Kingdom within Yaba LCDA, Lagos into a major international tourist centre.
The agency also said that deliberate efforts are geared towards maximising the potentials of tourism and hospitality industry by contributing huge resources to revenue generation of the country.
The Director General of the NTDA, Dr. Olayiwola Awakan gave this indication during a courtesy and strategic visit to the palace of the Onisabe of Igbobi-Sabe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Owolabi Adeyemi Adeniyi in Jibowu area of Lagos.
The NTDA boss also spoke of turning the annual Gelede festival in the Kingdom to a national event geared towards attracting international recognition via tourist and revenue generation.
Awakan believed that the Tourism sector is huge and can turn around the fortunes of the country while assuring that he will ensure that the Iroko Tree and Gelede masqurade prominent in the area gets formal recognition from UNESCO.
The NTDA boss who noticed the challenges of lack of being intentional in showcasing the potentials and speaking with one voice on the sector called for stakeholders in the value chains of Tourism to come together because it is private sector driven.
He also blamed lack of continuity in policy implementation as another set back to the sector.
Dr. Awakan pointed out that since Tourism is community based because the Tourism sites are within the community, it is incumbent that the traditional structure must be carried along.
According to him, the mandate from the President to the NTDA is to effectively market the country and regulate the Tourism sector to gain her full potentials.
Another policy that is of priority to the NTDA his the reform of the Tour Guards in the country with uniforms like Adire for those coming to the country.
Speaking earlier, the Onisabe of Igbobi-Sabe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Oba Owolabi Adeyemi Adeniyi disclosed that he was happy to receive him at the Palace for discussion on how to boost the existing partnership and take culture and tradition to the next level.
He explained that the Kingdpm still has a lot of symbolic structures and institutions despite the fact that the Colonialists took over most parts of the land.
The Monarch noted that Gelede is a unique festival which came to Igbobi-Sabe from Ketu in the years past and was meant to provide fruit of the womb to women experiencing delays in given birth.
At the site of the Iroko Tree in Igbobi area of Yaba, the traditional ruler appealed for concerted efforts in giving it a face-lift, noting that it should be turned into a national monument.
