By Ibrahim Ramalan
Abuja
Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Mbanefo, has assured Mexican investors of a safe and fertile Nigeria for their investments.
Mbanefo, who said this during her presentation on Tourism Investment Opportunities in Nigeria at the Mexico seminar on business opportunities in Nigeria held recently, emphasized that an area in the North eastern part of the country with security challenges is so minute compared to the size of the country, adding that the present administration, within a year, has been able to drastically reduce the activities of the insurgents in the area.
The NTDC boss, while encouraging the Mexican investors to consider investing in the nation’s tourism sector, disclosed that the main thrust of Nigeria’s tourism policy are to:
“create employment and engage the youths, generate foreign exchange, encourage small and medium enterprise development, promote tourism based rural enterprises, empower local communities and reduce urban migration, and promote cultural exchange.”
She said Nigeria is the largest and fastest growing economy in Africa, with the largest population in Africa, saying “one in every seven black persons is Nigerian. Now, imagine selling your products to over 170m people.
“Now is the best time for you to invest in Nigeria, as we are moving away from total dependence on oil, our tourism industry is a goldmine you can explore,” she stated.