The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has
inaugurated the planning committee for the 61st Meeting of the United
Nations World Tourism Organisation/CAF taking place in Abuja, Nigeria,
4th-6th June 2018.
The Minister, who performed the ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, charged
members of the committee to ensure the success of the event.
“Today’s inauguration kick-starts our preparation for the hosting of
the (UNWTO/CAF Meeting). The task ahead of us is enormous, but with
the quality membership of the Planning Committee, we are up to the
task and we will host a successful event,” he said.
“You have been selected based on your knowledge and expertise in
content, logistics and planning. Your role is to execute a successful
event with professional inputs and assistance from the Ministry and
the UNWTO. I have no doubt that you will take your assignments very
seriously,” Alhaji Mohammed said.
The Minister said the hosting right of the event, which was given to
Nigeria, has clearly demonstrated the confidence of the CAF member
states and the UNWTO in the country.
He said the highlight of Nigeria’s relevance and acceptance by the
Organization, within two years of its return after a period of
absence, was further shown in his election as a Vice Chairman of the
UNWTO General Assembly at an election held during the 22nd session of
the UNWTO General Assembly in Chengdu, China, in September 2017.
Alhaji Mohammed said the UNWTO meeting will afford the country the
unique opportunity to project its image as a safe and desirable
destination for leisure and business as well as promote the country’s
tourism products and services.
He said the meeting will also provide a platform for tourism
stakeholders to interact with their counterparts from other countries,
generate foreign exchange through accommodation in hotels, airfares
and souvenirs purchased by foreign delegates, create direct and
indirect employment, thereby alleviating poverty, and provide the
platform for the training for public and private sector tourism
officials.
Membership of the planning committee cuts across the Federal Ministry
of Information and Culture, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal
Capital Territory, extra-ministerial departments and agencies as well as
the private sector.