The President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, Aliyu Badaki, speaks about partnership with corporate bodies, scarcity of jet fuel, and other issues. Charles Ajunwa brings excerpts
Part of your mandate is to represent Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry focusing on coordination of members, protecting their interests and acting as a bridge for policy dialogue with the government. Any progress in this regard?
You see, as part of our mandate we ensure a harmonious working relationship with the relevant bodies to protect our members’ interests.
You came up with the Tourism Transformation Mandate (TTM), which is a three-pillar, eight-campaign commitment plan designed to move Nigeria’s tourism forward. At what stage is this plan?
Our tourism transformation mandate, TTF, is seriously on course. We are now building a more robust foundation in enhancing a better visibility and reputation. Efforts are being made to harmonise various members’ associations under the federation. Our partnership with corporate bodies is yielding results gradually. We also have a more robust relationship with some relevant government agencies.
The outbreak of Hantavirus and Ebola announced by World Health Organisation will impact travels and tourism globally. What’s your take?
The outbreak of hantavirus is still new and under study in the countries affected. We hope that it will be curtailed by the World Health Organisation and other international health organisations, and we cannot do much now until proper protocols are established by the relevant agencies. We have well-trained medical personnel at the borders- air, land and sea.
Iran and Israel/US war has created scarcity of jet fuel. What is FTAN under your leadership doing to protect operators and passengers who bear the brunt of this astronomical increment in tickets?
Since its global occurrence, the Nigerian government, in conjunction with the aviation industry, is looking at ways to mitigate the adverse effects. It’s really a serious matter that is affecting our industry.
