More doors have opened for staff of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), the implementers of the corporation’s strategic imperatives, to develop and strengthen their capacities, acquire more skills and potentials for enhanced service delivery, as the corporation recently partnered with the National Planning Commission on capacity training.
Director-General of the corporation, Mrs Sally Mbanefo, while speaking during her courtesy call on the Executive Secretary, National Planning Commission (NPC), Mr. Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, pointed out that the capacity building NTDC staff needed cannot be overemphasized.
“NTDC is the chief marketing organisation for Nigeria, hence the staff must be well-trained and be practically well-versed about what they are passing across about Nigeria, to the whole world.
“NTDC staff are the core stakeholders in the Nigeria’s tourism industry, hence they must be well-equipped and practically made ambassadors of the Nigeria’s tourism industry to drive development in the industry. We must feed the goose that lays the golden egg. As a result, capacity building and staff welfare are the priority on my agenda in repositioning the Nigeria’s tourism industry and promoting domestic tourism in the country. And this, I will execute to the letter”, she enthused.
Mbanefo who appreciated the efforts and strides of the Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission, Mr Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo and his team at moving the nation forward noted and disclosed that a good synergy and partnership between NTDC and NPC will ensure adequate and periodical training and retraining of NTDC staff, which will in turn drive rapid development of domestic tourism in Nigeria.
Ugbo in his reaction disclosed that he had been monitoring the giant strides and efforts of the NTDC boss at practically developing Nigeria’s tourism, hence he was willing and ready to partner with her in achieving her strategic imperatives at developing the Nigeria’s tourism industry.
The NPC boss, who described tourism as the next revenue earner for Nigeria noted that local tourism has not been explored in Nigeria at all, saying, “Nigeria has the greatest tourism potentials in Africa, but we are yet to harness them. We believe this can be done with right leadership, which Sally Mbanefo is providing.
“All Nigerians, public and private sectors must join force with the NTDC boss, Sally Mbanefo, to promote and develop domestic tourism in Nigeria. This will result in creation of jobs at local government, reduction of urban migration and cultural integration, among many other benefit.”
Ugbo assured that NPC, which is also a member of the SURE-P, will put NTDC in focus in the plans of the commission to move NTDC to the next level, thereby making Nigeria stand tall in tourism globally and enable Nigerians benefit from the innumerable goodies of the money-spinning industry.
He also assured that his administration will encourage National Bureau Commission, an arm of NPC to collaborate with NTDC to capture adequate data on tourists to Nigeria, to enhance proper planning for national development.
Ugbo then gave a wide range of training and capacity building opportunities for NTDC STAFF, which according to him, will make them more apt for marketing Nigeria and developing and promoting Nigeria’s tourism.
From left, Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Zakari Lawal; Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Mbanefo; Executive Secretary, National Planning Commission (NPC), Mr. Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo and Director, Administration and Supply Department, Mr. Boniface Chukwueku Eboka, in a group photograph during a courtesy call on the NPC Executive Secretary, at the commission’s office in Abuja.