Minister Urges FG To Embark On Perception Management On Tourism Sector

The Minister of Information, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has attributed the lack of vitality in the nation’s tourism sector to the negative perception foreigners hold of Nigeria as one of the reasons responsible for the depreciating tourism potentials of the country.

He expressed optimism that the culture and tourism sector could increase its contribution to the GDP from 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent in the next four years.

Mohammed stated this while making his presentation at the sectoral debate on the “Diversification of the Economy,” organized by the House of Representatives at plenary.

He named perception as one of the many challenges  faced by  the sector, saying that insurgent activities in some parts of the country as well as the rate of corruption was responsible for the negative notion held that Nigeria was insecure.

The minister said there was the need for the government to embark on perception management exercise to change the way Nigeria was perceived if the tourism sector of the country was to be revived, adding that there should be a deliberate effort on the part of the government to market the country.

“The sector faces many challenges which range from institutional to logistics and then financial, negative perception. The sector has not achieved its potentials due to the perception people have of Nigeria as a country. Our country today is highly perceived as insecure and many western nations have issued negative traveling advisories against Nigeria,” he said.