FROM RAHILA ABDULLAHI, KADUNA
Kaduna-based tourism expert, Dr Tobi Thomas has urged the Kaduna State government to consider the tourism sector as a means of revenue generation.
Thomas averred that tourism had the potential to boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, if proper consideration is given to the sector.
Speaking on Wednesday at a press conference in Kaduna, Thomas said with proper coordination of the tourism sector, the state could conveniently service its loans.
He equally disclosed that money generated from tourism could cater for the state’s infrastructure and also pay the workforce every month.
It would be recalled that recently, Governor Uba Sani lamented that N7 billion out of the N10 billion received as federal allocation was used in serving the huge debt inherited from the past administration of Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
Meanwhile, Dr Thomas, who is the Kaduna State Coordinator of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, FTAN, opined that in spite of the challenges, government could leverage the tourism potentials of the state to alleviate poverty and improve the living standard of citizens.
“There is no doubt that tourism is used to generate income and create easily accessible training opportunities and jobs, as well as market for services and local products.
“Tourism can lead to economic development through direct and indirect effects. Direct effects include revenue generation and foreign exchange. These effects also include creation of business opportunities that thrive on money earned from tourism or local sourcing of supplies,” he said.
Thomas therefore advised the Kaduna State government to be more creative and give attention to tourism like any other sector in the state.
