Otti said this on Thursday during a meeting with members of Nigeria Hotel Association and Hotel Proprietors Association in Umuahia. The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Caleb Ajagba, said that he was desirous to develop and strengthen the hospitality industry as well as tourism sector to meet global standards.

He said that the rebuilding agenda of the government was focused on achievement of even distribution of socioeconomic development and added that the hotel owners had a vital role to play in this regard.

“We are here to kick start what would be an enduring legacy in terms of reshaping the perception of stakeholders in the hospitality industry.

“Also looking at creative ways to move the hospitality industry, and one of the take away we are looking at, is building partnership with stakeholders.

“Government cannot do everything, however, government will create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, but it is the responsibility of entrepreneurs to drive the process to boost wealth creation,” he said.

Otti said that the government would create channels that would enhance the visibility of Abia’s hospitality industry on the digital space, and further drive the hospitality businesses to deliver world class services.

The Commissioner for Digital Economy, Dr Matthew Ekwuruibe, urged stakeholders in the hospitality industry to align with government’s rebuilding agenda.

Ekwuruibe said that plans were underway to build a website for hotels listing and booking , as well as connecting the hotels to Google Map, and added that the website would contain information about tourism centres in Abia.

He said that the use of digital technology to reinvent the hospitality industry had a lot of benefits such as increased visibility, enhanced ease of doing business, among others. Also, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Okey Kanu, said that the hospitality industry played a central role in improving the economy of any state.

Kanu said that “the hospitality industry is central to any government that is interested in growing its economy.

“The relationship between government and the hotel owners is a relationship that needs to grow into a partnership to transform the hospitality industry,”

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kazie Uko, described the meeting as a deliberate effort by the government to transform the hospitality industry in the state. Uko said that the engagement between the government and stakeholders had created a viable opportunity to address the issues inhibiting the growth of the industry in the state.

Furthermore, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Tourism and Entertainment, Martins Justice, described the hospitality industry as the bedrock of the tourism sector. Justice said that the government was working to build a hospitality industry that would meet the demands of the 21st Century as well as develop the tourism sector.

Earlier, the National Treasurer of Nigeria Hotel Association, Charles Ezeala, called on the state government to create an enabling environment for hotel businesses to thrive. Ezeala said that the government had a great role to play in assisting hotel businesses to thrive, for the hospitality industry to be transformed.

Also, Nnanna Ngwakwe, a member of Hotel Proprietors Association, Aba branch, said that insecurity, poor power supply and bad roads were the bane of hotel businesses in Abia and added that this was affecting the growth of the hospitality industry in the state.

Ngwakwe called for the urgent intervention of the state government in addressing the challenges threatening the advancement of the industry in Abia.

The team Leader of a destination management outfit and owner of the Ufitfly brand, Evang Ajibola Ogunkeyede has urged the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to showcase our numerous tourism potential and forge partnerships with many intending private outfits to grow inbound traffic in our tourism sector.

He opined that tourism is enough to bail the country’s economy out of its present quagmire if well harnessed, saying countries like Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Kenya and Uganda relies so much on tourism and they’re making it big from Nigerian business men and women that are patronizing them.

Ogunkeyede, who made these calls while featuring on the weekly radio magazine program, ‘Travel with the Twins’ that was recently aired in Ibadan, where he also revealed that his firm (UfitFly) that has made big mark in Africa on Christian’s pilgrimage has spent almost 450 million on publicity.

He said the country is blessed with beautiful sceneries, bubbling nightlife and exciting culture, sacred sites, enthralling wildlife in the many national parks, eco-tourism, mountains, and several other unique tourist attractions.

He however urged Nigerians to embrace inbound tourism by visiting local tourist sites for leisure instead of spending fortune on going for holidays abroad stressing that places such as Olumo Rock, Yankari Game Reserve, Lekki Conservation Centre, Zuma Rock, Agbokim Waterfall, Aso Rock, Agodi Gardens, Ado-Awaye, Calabar Tinapa, Ekiti, Jos are all tourist sites.

“Just recently I advised my family during this vacation to visit Lekki Conservation Centre instead of their initial plans of going to United Kingdom for holiday, and they so much enjoyed themselves with just five hundred thousand than spending millions on air-tickets going to United Kingdom because of the economic situation of the country,” he noted.

Ogunkeyede however gave kudos to the Governor of Oyo State Engr. Seyi Makinde for improving the security of the state which has boosted the night-life and tourism prospect in and around the state urging him to do more in developing the numerous tourists’ sites for improved internally generated revenue ( IGR) from the tourism sector.

On October 1, 2023, food enthusiasts and stakeholders will gather at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos to have a taste of Nigerian cuisine at an event organised by 3X4 Foods, a subsidiary of 3 BY 4 Gourmet.

The founder of 3X4 Foods, Ms Banke Makinde, said the programme, Street Food Celebration, would be used to showcase the Nigerian culture, through food, to the world.

She said the event would provide an opportunity to celebrate Nigeria’s culture, history, and people through street food, and promote cultural entertainment, and delicious gourmet street food.

According to her, Street Food Celebration will highlight the evolution and globalisation of Nigerian food and promote the new wave of African food concepts that are taking the world by storm.

“I want to export our rich African culture through food. Lagos is a melting pot of cultures, and our street food reflects that diversity.

“I’m spearheading this effort to push its globalization because I want the world to experience the deliciousness and uniqueness of Nigerian cuisine.

“The Street Food Celebration is a wholesome way to share our culture and heritage with others, and to build bridges between different communities,” Ms Makinde stated.

The invite-only event is expected to host over 500 stakeholders in the food ecosystem, including chefs, restauranteurs, food critics and writers, FMCG brands, influencers, and regulators.

It will also have members of the general public in attendance for a night of networking, cultural exploration, and sampling of Nigeria’s best street food cuisine.

The event is sponsored by key organisations in the industry and beyond, including the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Bank of Industry, BUA Foods, and Flour Mills Nigeria, among others.

To consolidate its efforts to push local appreciation and globalisation of Nigerian culture, the event will also feature various forms of cultural entertainment and art to showcase the rich heritage of Nigeria and Africa. This will include an exciting performance from a dance troupe and a showcase of curated art from talented local artists.

Through this upcoming event, 3X4 Foods showcases its commitment to promoting the diversity and richness of African cuisine, whilst connecting industry players and key stakeholders.