The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, signed the agreement yesterday in Madrid, Spain, with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Mr.
Zurab Pololikashvili. He assured them that the country would put together a
trailblasing event.
Mohammed described the signing of the agreement as the
clearest indication yet of Nigeria’s commitment to hosting a successful
conference officially entitled: ‘First UNWTO Global Conference on Linking
Tourism, Culture and Creative Industries: Pathways to Recovery and Inclusive
Development’.
The minister said the conference would be held at the
National Theatre in Lagos, which is currently being renovated at a cost of $100
million under a partnership between the federal government and the Bankers’
Committee/Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He said the conference would form a part of the events to
formally declare open the National Theatre, the iconic edifice which is
undergoing its first renovation in over four decades, in addition to witnessing
the construction of new hubs for fashion, information technology, film and
music.
The minister said the global conference would affirm
Nigeria’s status as the hub of the creative industry in Africa, and help
reposition the Cultural Tourism and Creative Industry as the engine of growth
not just for Nigeria or Africa but indeed the world.
Mohammed said the conference would boost the creative
industries, which according to the UN, generate annual revenues of $2.25
trillion and account for 30 million jobs worldwide.
He commended the UNWTO for coming up with the conference and
also for giving Nigeria the hosting rights.
On his part, the UNWTO Secretary-General, Pololikashvili,
assured him that the UN agency would immediately kick-start a global publicity
campaign for the event as part of efforts to ensure its success.
The signing was witnessed by the Nigerian Ambassador to
Spain, Mr. Demola Seriki, and the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism
Development Corporation (NTDC), Mr. Folorunsho Coker, among others.
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