WellcometoNigeria Ltd (WtN) and the Federal Ministry of Tourism are set to straighten and deepen the existing partnership amongst the duo towards the implementation of the tourism content of Welcome2Nigeria Project (W2NP).

This is coming after the recent approval by the ministry and the nomination of a nine man officials to form a Working Committee with WellcometoNigeria Ltd for the implementation of Welcome2Nigeria Project. The development is a positive step in the right direction, and demonstrates the Ministry’s commitment towards private sector inclusiveness in facilitating and deepening growth in the sector.

To facilitate its implementation and boost the partnership structure, the ministry has graciously agreed to provide necessary technical support to all tourism related programmes of the Project.

The good news was disclosed by the Founder and President of WelcometoNigeria Ltd who also doubles as the National Coordinator of the Project, Mr Isa Yusuf Sago, after receiving the letter of approval from the Ministry.

The proposed Working Committee would be charged with the planning and implementation of all tourism programmes of the Project, such as the EnjoyNigeria-Expo and Festival, known as ENEX-FEST, slated to hold in the month of November to December, 2024, as well as the WelcometoNigeria Expo (WtNEx), slated for March, 2025, including other strategic programmes geared towards rural tourism development.

The new committee spun out of the defunct second Ministerial Working Committee on Welcome2Ngeria Project, which was domiciled in the erstwhile Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. The then Committee was constituted by the three major departments of the then Ministry, namely Domestic and Eco Tourism, Creative Entertainment Services and Cultural Industries Departments, respectively.  

The advent of the President Ahmed Tinubu led government witnessed the splitting of the Ministry into three different substantive ministries, which are: Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

“ I am glad over the approval and also expectant that the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy would also consider our formal request to set up its own Working Committee, to marshal out plans for the implementation of culture, arts related programmes under the W2NP  Action Programme For Alternative Resources Development  (W2NP-APfAReD),” says the Founder, Mr Sago.

W2NP was initiated in 2005 in partnership with the High Chief Edem Duke-led leadership of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and the eventual partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria. A marriage that resulted to its endorsement and the inauguration of the first Inter-Ministerial Working Committee by the Honourable Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Adetokunbo Kayode, SAN, 2008. The then Inter-Ministerial Working Committee had representatives from first-line ministries, agencies of government and the private sector , such as –  Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Information, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Federation of Tourism Associatios  of Nigeria (FTAN), New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), LONAGlobal Resources  and culture Tourism professionals.

The collaboration drives home Federal Government’s determination to diversify the economy and ensure the sector contributes, hugely, alternative source of revenue for the country.