Abuja: A Professor of Sustainable Tourism Management, Bola Adeleke, says tourism can be used as a catalyst to shift the country’s dependency on oil and boost its economy. Adeleke of the Redeemer’s University, Ede, in Osun, made the remarks on Thursday in Ede while delivering the 19th inaugural lecture of the university.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the lecture had as its theme ‘Sustainable Tourism: An Impetus for National Development’. Adeleke stated that sustainable tourism, which encompassed people, planet, and profit, could be used as a catalyst for national development and bring about economic, social, and environmental developments.
Economically, Adeleke explained that tourism generates significant revenue, creates jobs, and stimulates local economies, contributing to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and reducing poverty. She emphasized that it can diversify Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy, create jobs, and stimulate local businesses.
Socially, Adeleke noted that tourism would preserve cultural heritage, foster intercultural understanding, and enhance community well-being. Environmentally, it can protect biodiversity and mitigate climate impacts through ecotourism initiatives in national parks and protected areas. Globally, she highlighted that tourism contributes 10 percent to GDP and one in ten jobs.
Adeleke referenced the World Tourism Organisation’s 2021 report, which indicated that in 2019, tourism generated $1.7 trillion in export earnings. The don mentioned that the tourism sector accounted for 3.6 percent of the country’s 2022 GDP of $17 billion and also created employment for about two million people.
She urged the government to tap into and harness the great potentials in tourism to boost revenue and foreign exchange earnings. However, Adeleke pointed out the need for the government to address issues of insecurity and upgrade tourist sites in the country to attract foreign tourists.
Earlier, Prof. Shadrach Akindele, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, remarked that tourism is one of the areas where the country has great potential. Akindele stated that tourism could boost the country’s foreign reserves and attract a lot of foreign exchange, emphasizing that with many tourist sites, Nigeria is sitting on a goldmine.