Prince Arokoyo, stressed the association is determined to sharpen the zeal of stakeholders in the sector to address the retardation of the sector with periodical intervention programmes.
Speaking shortly after he was sworn-in as ATPN, Kaduna Chapter , Prince Ayodele Arokoyo who disclosed this , said the first line of duty of new executive in the state is to bring together tourism practitioners in the state with a view to forging a common ground toward innovation and tourism promotion.Arokoyo noted, ” Kaduna State is historical to Nigeria as a country and has a lot of tourism potential that if properly harnessed, will be the driving force in the state economy. ”
Read full Speech of Prince Ayodele Arokoyo , the Kaduna new ATPN Chairman .Speech Delivered by Prince Ayodele Arokoyo (Destination Tourism Brand Ambassador) on the Occasion of Inauguration of Kaduna State Chapter, Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN) Executive at the National Library, Bida Road, Kaduna State dated 22nd of June, 2017
Protocols:
The Executive Governor of Kaduna State, members of House of Representatives, the National President of ATPN, Royal fathers here present, members of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Honourable Commissioners, Distinguished practitioners in tourism and hospitality industry, invited special guests, members of the fourth estate of the realm, ladies and gentlemen.
It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this occasion, the formal inauguration for the Executive of Kaduna State chapter, Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN).
As you are all aware, tourism is the business of providing services such as transport, places to stay or entertainment for people holidaying and the galaxy of people that have honoured our invitation to grace this occasion despite tight schedules is a source of encouragement and I can’t thank you enough.
Let me say here that as the federal government plans diversification of the economy, tourism is the paramount sector that should be focused. Tourism is capable of sustaining the economy if properly repositioned as countries like Japan, Brazil Dubai, Kenya and a lot of other countries have attested.
Kaduna State cum Nigeria has the potential to earn substantial revenue from her rich cultural heritage, beautiful sceneries, and diverse annual and periodical festivals which could be earn from promoting domestic tourism from the local government areas strategic cultural innovation and synergising with practitioners in facilitating public-private drive for tourism development in Kaduna state and Nigeria at large.
Our aim is to develop and market the tourism potentials of Kaduna State, and to do this, we’re determined to sharpen the zeal of stake holders in the sector and particularly address the retardation of the sector with periodical intervention programmes. Also to bring together tourism practitioners in the state in forging a common ground toward innovation and tourism promotion while enhancing practitioners global best practice through training and interactive engagement.
Kaduna State is historical to Nigeria as a country and has a lot of tourism potential that if properly harnessed, will be the driving force in the state economy. Before now, many schools of thoughts had warned against the consequences of the country’s dependence on the oil sector without exploring other economic opportunities.
The dearth of tourism amidst the indescribable potentials available must be bridged and we aim to engage government with interactive development programmes to enhance tourism growth and development in Kaduna state and the country at large.
Presently, the nation is faced with obvious and consequence reality of economic recession, occasioning in mass joblessness, severe crunch in foreign exchange earnings and of cause importation- based economy.
Today, the reality of government’s inability to sustain common needs of the populace stares us in the face while great opportunity abound and we as people daily foot math this opportunities untapped.
We hope to open the tourism sector to wider participation to engage the army of unemployed youths in our streets.
In Southern Kaduna for example, the tourist attractions are as many as they are diverse from the natural Matsirga Waterfalls and its sister Abodari-Awatsung Waterfall in Madakiya to globally acclaimed Nok Cultural Safe at Kwoi in Jemaa Local Government Area.
The emir’s palace located opposite to the central mosque in Zaria, displayed a palace’s rich in cultural artifacts and unique architectural design. The palace’s interior is more functional and populated by a large coterie including the dogarai brightly dressed palace guards.
The city wall is a tourism beauty to behold. The city wall probably remains the best preserved among the cities of northern Nigeria. The wall constructed during the reigns of Queen Amina circumnavigates the city and they are between 14 and 16km long and are pierced by 8 gates.
In view of the potentials inherent in the tourism sectors of our national economy and the need for every stakeholders to be an active participants, we use this to appeal to Kaduna state government to support the vision as we partner with the state in achieving its objectives of bettering the lots of the people and delivering the change agenda mandate.
Let me use this opportunity the occasion offered us to call on the state government especially his Excellency Mallam Ahmed Nasir El-rufai to incorporate the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN) in the planning committee proposed for Kaduna centenary in contributing their professional experience and innovation in making the event a more laudable one.
We call on other relevant government agencies to support our intentions to reposition the tourism sector of the state so as to help reduce the challenges of insecurity associated with joblessness. We equally call on the private sector not to relent in bringing out the priceless potentials of tourism in Kaduna, Nigeria and Africa.
Ladies and gentlemen without wasting much of time, these and many more are what Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria under my leadership and our collective aspiration in the state aim to achieve.
I thank you all for your time and God bless.
