Tourism expert requests Akwa Ibom Gov to enhance tourism investment

Monday, August 28, 2023

Mr. Joseph Umoh, a specialist in the tourism industry, has urged the Akwa Ibom state government in Nigeria to increase investment in the industry to raise the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.The call was made by Umoh, the state chairman of the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), during the weekend in Uyo.

He emphasized the state’s wealth of tourism attractions, which have the potential to generate billions of dollars in revenue for the state, and he urged Governor Umo Eno to continue steadfast in his commitment to reviving and developing the industry.

He regretted that important tourist destinations like the leppers’ colony, Lord Lugard’s House in Ikot Abasi, Mary Slessor’s home in Ibiono Ibom, where she sat in court to end the long-standing custom of murdering twins, had been allowed to deteriorate.

He pointed out that these tourist hotspots are crucial to the survival of some developed economies, such as Israel, where every year, millions of Christian pilgrims waste billions of dollars on unnecessary capital flights to see the ancient footprints of Jesus Christ, his disciples, and other Christian relics.

Umoh, who also serves as the managing director (MD) of the state’s Jous Venture Leisure Group (JVLG), a travel agency, said that the government has selected over 18 tourism spots around the state’s 31 LGAs for investment and to reposition the state for strategic exploitation in the tourism industry.

He remembered that the state governor had established a tourism committee following the well-known “Akwa Ibom Dialogue” to visit all tourism locations in the state and gather information in order to turn them into lucrative economic enterprises for the state.

A plan of the colonial offices, including Lord Lugard’s office, his home, and the offices of colonial personnel, can be found in the Ikot Abasi council area.

“We also have the Women’s War Memorial, which was where women gathered before to the “Aba Women Riot of 1929,” as it is remembered in history.It was originally going to be called the “Ikot Abasi or Ukam Women Riot,” but since the women’s group’s leadership was in Aba, that name was changed. This is due to the fact that Ikot Abasi, in Akwa Ibom, saw the majority of action during the conflict.

“We also visited ‘the bridge of no return’ where slaves were kept in a dungeon waiting for deportation through the slave ship.”

Other tourist attractions, according to Umoh, include the Blue River in Ukanafun, the Iko Beach in Eastern Obolo, and the Usaka Forest in Obot Akara, the site of the Ultimate Gulder Search event many years ago.

He urged the host communities of the tourist destinations to practice peace, pointing out that the industry’s activities benefit everyone in society.

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