President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done it, unbelievably, and in the best fine moment for an industry so abused and unappreciated.

We prayed, yes , we did. If there is a man, a people who can pray, then there is God who can answer prayers. Tinubu brought back to us, to Nigeria, a well-deserved stand-alone Ministry of Tourism. Great opportunity, long lost but restored. “Emi lokun,” the President’s famed prayer-confession, touched us in such significant manifestation.

It is the turn and time of tourism in Nigeria, and may God bless our hearts’ desire, keep our President and prosper our nation and people.

Lola Ade John, Minister of Tourism, should be the most popular Nigerian ever. It is because she is the new face of Nigerian tourism. The race is going to be swift, and there will be no captives.

Swift reforms, yes. All the cobwebs, the lies and misappropriation and misapplication of tourism opportunities must be thrown overboard. No long speeches, no yeye dinner dates, it is going to be hard work, lots of catching up to do.

Nigerian tourism certainly lags behind. Lola Ade John must sprint like a gazelle, another Mary Onyali; remember that Olympic sprint star?

Yes, this is our year of tourism Olympics, and there will be no balm for emotional and sentimental persuasions. Lola Ade John is our hope for the tourism Olympic gold medal. It won’t be forlorn, we pray.

We must start afresh. Seek and head-hunt best legs and brains. Our problem is over-rated and egocentric civil servants. They are the killjoys of Nigerian tourism and Lola Ade John must be careful. She must watch out for their Greek gifts and welcome reception. They are notoriously evil.

As a certified information technology expert, Lola Ade John must come to the tourism table with intel-backed solutions and, in particular, a support team with strategic delivery plans.

To fail would be dire, as the expectations are huge. Our tourism experiences and expectations are no longer dreams. They must be practical, visible, collaborative, effective, profitable and beneficial to every Nigerian.

Tourism is our badge of honour, the heartbeat of our new economy, the unemployment buster and our passport to global acceptation and visitation. Surely, tourism will bring about peace in our land.

Lola Ade John must sprint to tourism gold in a hundred days and must rejig government tourism agencies presently funnelled in confusion and poor mandate delivery. I hate with perfect hatred their worn-out, deceptive statistics. They have stolen us blind. It is a one-day-at-a-time goal for the new Ministry of Tourism.

I took a count, 50 calls in 20 minutes. Yes, from industry players and media colleagues. Some expressively joyful, others in wonder on what to come. President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, Mr. Nkereweum Onung, described the President’s response as heartwarming, grateful to a leader who listens.

His open letter to President Tinubu is cheering, inspiring and thoughtful. It is the fastest letter of appreciation in our industry’s history, made public barely five minutes after the office of the President’s media adviser broke the news.

It was an Olympic response. The industry is agog. Onung salutes industry stakeholders, everyone and everybody who took to individual efforts to drive the campaign for a stand-alone Ministry of Tourism.

It is in the bag now. Yes, the stand-alone Ministry of Tourism is in the bag. The rebuilding and restructuring must start in essence. We now have an address, and we won’t forget Mr. President Tinubu. He kept us in the dark all along but heard our stringent calls for our “lokan” (our turn) tourism ministry.

In the same vein, we welcome the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy. Hannatu Musa Musawa sure must tie her wrapper well for a tough dance through the culture space. She can sprint faster with culture.

Hannatu has a game changer in culture in the National Council of Arts and Culture, pivoted to limelight by Segun Runsewe. The National Troupe is on a resurrection and resurgence under Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed. In the cultural orientation agency, Hannatu Musa Musawa can make a hundred metres dash to victory with Comrade Ado Yahuza.

I am beginning to think that President Tinubu knew all along what and where he wants of our tourism and culture economy to be.

No encumbrances, just freehold opportunities to gain from the huge cultural tourism economy and make Nigeria the preferred tourism destination in Africa.

If only Festus Keyamo as Minister of Aviation could give us a true Nigerian airline and stop the rascality and overbearing exploitation of Nigerians by foreign airlines, then we could regain our pride of place among nations.

Let me stay action here and watch Lola Ade John sprint into action. She must be strong on baton exchange in collaboration with the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria. Congratulations to us all, and thank you, Mr. President, thank you, sir.