The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has revealed that the establishment of community museums will ensure that tourists who come into the country visit the rural areas thereby ensuring that local communities benefit from the huge benefits accruable from the tourism sector.
He made this known on the sideline of the recently concluded 4th World UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture in Kyoto, Japan. The Minister, who served as one of the panelists at the Ministerial Segment of the conference, dedicated to discussing and exchanging policies and government models capable of impacting the future of cultural tourism.
In his words, ”In Nigeria, we observed that tourists stay in the big cities when they visit. They visit the museums in the cities where objects gotten from different parts, including the rural areas, are displayed but they hardly go to the rural areas. To encourage tourists to visit the rural areas where money spent is quickly reflected in the local economy, we are trying to establish community museums” he said.
Mohammed further revealed that the government will, in particular, encourage the establishment of palace museums.
”Parts of ancient residencies of traditional rulers and important chiefs are being turned to museums. Thus, we are not limiting museums to big cities. Money spent by tourists while visiting these rustic places stays longer in these areas. Lamido Adamawa now has the Fombina Palace museum, just like the Emir of Potiskum has palace museum,” he said.
The Minister added that the government, through high-level representation, training of festival managers and the provision of enabling environment, is supporting and promoting festivals and cultural tourism all over the country, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that local communities benefit from such events.
He concluded that a national calendar of festivals will soon be unveiled to assist tourists who are coming to Nigeria in planning their visits. Mohammed said that Nigeria has continued to leverage on the areas in which it enjoys a comparative advantage, citing music, movies and fashion as some of such areas.