Nigeria to change negative perception through tourism

The Federal Government, has said there is a global negative perception and an international conspiracy against Nigeria
which would be challenged through promotion of tourism and cultural heritage.

The government said it would overhaul the nation’s global image and promote tourism for the patriotic purposes of
creating wealth for national development and securing international trust for foreign investment.

The Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Edem Duke who said this during the inauguration
of ‘Nigeria, our Heritage Project’ in Abuja on Tuesday, explained that the tourism innovation would restore a positive perception for Nigeria as an emerging international hub for business in the next century.

According to him, the western media did not see anything positive about Nigeria hence their consistent negative report against the nation, noting that Nigerians all over the world have stretched the boundary of creativity, but this was not appreciated by purveyors of negativity against the country.

“In the last few months, there has been a global conspiracy against Nigeria; a lot of indignity has been dished to the leadership and humiliation to the country by western media; Nigerians have stretched the boundaries of creativity and stretched milestones, there is a need for a new story of Nigeria to begin,” Duke said.

The Minister explained that his ministry has adopted the project being sponsored by some private individuals under the Federal Government policy on Public Private Partnership.

He observed that countries like South Africa and Rwanda were able to erase the negative perceptions against them while
Nigeria with a population of about 160 million people was still being vilified by the international media.

He therefore appealed to Nigerians to work hard and change the negative perception about the country by believing in the nation and having confidence that it could be greater.

Duke stated that the ministry would work with the  ‘Nigeria, our Heritage Project’ initiators to overhaul the nation’s image and promote its tourism and cultural heritage using such platforms as the creative and performing Arts, National Council for Arts and Culture, literatures and others to drive the project.

He said that the project would among other things, chronicle Nigeria’s past and present while projecting progressive
initiatives for the future, create access for global international interest and investment in potential business opportunities in Nigeria and redefine Nigeria as a world leading nation through development of leadership institutions and frontier schemes.

He said, “Through the Nigeria, our heritage project, we shall celebrate the rich cultural inheritance and vast economic endowment of Nigeria as well as the large market the country offers.

“We recognise the bright future of Nigeria as a rising business destination in the continent of Africa, above all,
we recognise the impact that a rebranded Nigeria, collectively supported by all Nigerians, will have on businesses, the economy and our people.”

The minister sought the partnership of local companies, the media, local and international agencies and government institutions and state governments to be part of the project.

Dignitaries at the inauguration include a former Nigerian Ambassador to Israel and the Coordinator of the project, Prof. George Obiozor, and a former Education Minister, Prof. Tunde Adeniran.