Achieving the millennium development goals: issues and options for the Nigeria?s tourism industry

Abiodun

Description

Abstract
Many countries have experienced how tourism and related recreation activities can help to increase and diversity their economic bases, particularly in rural areas (Fawson, Thilmany, and Keith 1998). Several empirical studies have also documented that tourism has direct, indirect and induced impacts on economic development (Slee, Farr, and Snowdon, 1997)...

Sujets

• Tourism
• Turismo
• Nigeria

Informations

• Publié par: erevistas
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2006
• Nombre de lectures: 25
• Langue: English

Extrait

Vol. 4 Nº 3 págs. 429-436. 2006

www.pasosonline.org


Opiniones y ensayos


Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: issues and options for the Nigeria’s
tourism industry





Abiodun S. Bankole
University of Ibadan (Nigeria)
☼ Gbadebo O. Odularu
Covenant University(Nigeria)
[e-mail]





population could reap enormous rewards
Introduction from growth of this industry. According to
the WTO, 50 per cent of the world’s poorest
Many countries have experienced how nations rank tourism in their top three
tourism and related recreation activities income sources, attracting vital foreign
can help to increase and diversity their exchange.
economic bases, particularly in rural areas In 2000, the leaders and heads of state
(Fawson, Thilmany, and Keith 1998). Sev- of 189 countries signed the Millennium
eral empirical studies have also docu- Declaration, which set a series of targets
mented that tourism has direct, indirect for global action against poverty by 2015.
and induced impacts on economic develop- The Millennium Development Goals
ment (Slee, Farr, and Snowdon, 1997). In (MDGs) are the result of this process.
Meetfact, the industry is one of the most crucial ing the MDGs would not completely
elimitradable sectors in the world. Tourism is an nate economic poverty; but meeting them
effective weapon which can assist underde- could make a positive difference to millions
veloped countries to achieve the 2015 anti – of women, men, and children. In the past
poverty MDGs. Globally the tourism indus- decade, 59 countries – predominantly in
try has created 100, 000 new jobs a year, sub - Saharan Africa and the former Soviet
thus accounting for 11 per cent of global Union – have slid further down the poverty
employment (WTO, 2004). Furthermore, ladder, as they contend with HIV/AIDS,
tourism is the only service industry where conflict, and enormous foreign debts
there is a positive balance of trade flows (UNDP 2004).
from first world to their world countries. The paper, therefore attempts to
reMost African cities where half of young examine the crucial role and significance of
people account for about 50 per cent of the tourism for Nigeria’s development effort,
© PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. ISSN 1695-7121 430 Achieving the Millennium Development Goals …

the problems, and suggestions for possible Of relevance is the Hospitality and
Tourism Establishment Regulation 1997, measures to take to tackle the identified
which provides that the owner of every problems, such that tourism can be
effechospitality and tourism establishment shall
tively used to achieve the Millennium
Defrom the commencement of operations,
velopment Goals ( MDGs). apply to the NTDC in the prescribed form
for the registration, classification or
reclasAn Overview of Tourism Industry in sification of a hospitality or tourism
estabNigeria lishment on payment of such fee as may be
prescribed by the corporation for time to
With the demise of military rule in Ni- time. The requirement for registration is
geria, the government is keenly interested therefore a prelude to classification and
in reaping the dividends of democracy by grading of such establishments which is
developing its tourism industry. Nigeria is provided for by regulations No. 10 and 11.
richly endowed with natural, cultural and
geographical resources. Nigeria is the most Economic Significance
populous African country with a current
population of about 130 million people, a Tourism is a non-agricultural, economic
land area of 923, 777km, a coastal zone of sector. Tourism has a substantial role to
830km and an exclusive economic zone of play in the expanding and diversifying
Ni256, 000km of the Atlantic Ocean. Since geria’s economic base. Among other
contriNigeria is relatively blessed with all year butions, the tourism sector has been shown
round sun, it has a wide variety of natural as providing income-earning opportunities
attractions to capture some of the tourist for a large number of people. It has been
markets. Thus, the need to embark on an estimated that if developed, tourism will be
aggressive policy of fostering the develop- the biggest employer of labour in Nigeria;
ment of its tourism industry. generating employment for millions of
peoThe Federal Ministry of Commerce and ple. Tourism employment will touch almost
Tourism (FMCT) is saddled with the re- every aspect of the Nigerian economy, from
sponsibility of policy formulation and moni- the taxi drivers to bank managers (The
toring, planning and funding nationally – Guardian Newspaper, 2005). The industry
oriented tourism infrastructure. It also has multiplier impact on such other sectors
represents the country in international as transportation, hotels, financial
institutourism events, and maintains links with tions, hospitals, aviation and environment.
the state governments on all tourism- Experience on tourism development in
related matters. In addition, the National the Caribbean to date indicates that growth
Council on Commerce and Tourism, com- in tourism services could result in the
folprising the Minister, Commissioners, and lowing sustainability impacts: [1] generally
representatives of travel agents, hoteliers positive impacts of macro-economic
indicaand catering associations, tour operators tors (contribution to GDP, export earnings,
and boards of airlines, coordinates the government tax revenues), and [2]
opporplanning and development of tourism in tunities in employment to develop
profesNigeria. Also, the Nigerian Tourism Devel- sional skills. Some of the social costs of
opment Corporation (NTDC), which was tourism promotion include: [1] a high risk
established by Decree No. 81 of 1992, regu- of over-reliance on one sector and therefore
lates and supervises the registration and increasing vulnerability; [2] higher risks of
grading of tourism enterprises among oth- social problems (for instance, AIDS) and
ers. not necessarily better working conditions
The State Tourism Boards (STBs) iden- (seasonal jobs) which does not significantly
tify, preserve, protect and develop tourism alleviate poverty; [3] risk of worsening
enassets and resources within the States, and vironmental damages due to the
developcoordinate the activities of tourism agen- ment of hotel construction and increased
cies. The local government tourism commit- tourist arrivals exist but so do
opportunitees identify potential tourist attractions, ties for transfer of environmentally sound
serve information centres and preserve and practices; and [4] the nature and degree of
maintain monuments and museums.
PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, 4(3). 2006 ISSN 1695-7121

Abiodun S. Bankole y Gbadebo O. Odularu 431

these impacts depend on a range of vari- which drive the wealth creation process at
ables; the type of tourism (land-based or all levels.
cruise tourism, and niche markets), in- Problems of the Tourism Industry
vestments (hotels, construction, manage-
ment, contracts and environmentally sound The problems of tourism in Nigeria
investments) types of jobs created, tourist hardly that of dearth of policies or
institubehaviour (expenditure activities) and the tions to support them, but more of the
efinstitutional framework (social pro- fectiveness of such policies and institutions
grammes, environmental management) that are today grossly deficient and deplor-
able. Changing policies of the state are
Performance and Potentials of Tourism often times detrimental to the growth and
survival of the industry. In addition,
NigeTourism has performed impressively in ria has not been able to attract
internamany developed countries and the newly tional tourist to her shores due the
indusindustrialised Asian nations. One can sum try’s inability to have a well-focused
promoup the performance, role or potential con- tion and marketing policy that would
emtributions of the tourism sector as follows: brace crucial national and local events. The
• Tourism provides a major source of infrastructural decay has posed formidable
employment opportunities for a large ma- obstacle that needs urgent attention by the
jority of people, being labour intensive with government. In fact, the industry lacks the
higher capacity for employment generation. enabling environment to attract foreigners
In Nigeria, it has the potential to absorb a for tourism and investments capable of
high percentage of teeming millions of peo- earning the nation a fortune in terms of
ple who are not gainfully employed. The foreign exchange.
majority of those willing to work about (70 It is important to note that another
rea– 80 %) because operations in the tourism son why nature tourism has not boomed
industry are mainly labour intensive and considerably in Nigeria is because the
the industry includes hotels, airlines, travel country missed the opportunity to develop
agency and all tourism related organisa- its wildlife base or ecotourism in the mid –
tions. 1960s, while it was still an agrarian nation