Travel/Tourism
Boosting Local & International Patronage for Indigenous Tourist Sites Through Entertainment Industry
By Olukayode Kolawole
The Nigerian entertainment industry is growing at an unstoppable rate. We unarguably have the best talents in the whole of Africa; limiting us to the shores of Nigeria is a disservice. In no time, our entertainers will start earning as much as – if not more than – their counterparts in developed countries. At least, that’s the dream and it’s work in progress.
In the nearest future, we will hear Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Genevieve Nnaji, Richard Mofe-Damijo and the likes gulp billions of nairas each year.
It’s funny how we don’t even get to know how much these entertainers earn every year from movies roles. We deserve to know; we’re the fans after all. Is it not all possible to have platforms created to provide us with reliable data, not speculations, on how much each artiste earns in a year? Well, that’s something I would like to write about some other time.
Nollywood and the music industry have grown together in the last couple of years like Siamese twins. We have recorded more movie exports than all the African countries put together. Our music acts have become the most-sought-after for collaborations here and there. Concerts in most African countries cannot be said to be enjoyed without a Nigerian act in attendance, more often than not as the headline artiste. Every single day, new acts are cropping up with ‘gbedu wey dey burst brain’ (irresistible beats) being produced by equally talented producers and lasers. The contributions of Nollywood and our music industry (how come no one has come up with a befitting nomenclature for the music industry?) to Nigeria’s GDP are indeed commendable. By 2019, the industry is estimated to have the potential to gross in US$8.1 billion. If only the government could provide additional support to tackle some of the recurring challenges in the sector, more revenue can be squeezed out and our economy will stand at a vantage position.
Worthy of note is our creative arts industry. The illustrators, artists, designers, cartoonists and so on. For the purpose of this article, I will refer to them as second-level entertainers. No intention to derogate or minimize their arts. In fact, I appreciate all kinds of creative works. These categories of professionals are also entertainers. They entertain us with their respective works of arts. And truly, Nigerians have an impeccable hunger for these creative outputs. It’s a bit shocking why these second-level entertainers do not get as much recognition as their counterparts. While I understand there is an urgent need to promote these kinds of arts, it’s also important for the players to carry one another along by way of lending helping hands and more importantly through word of mouth.
If our entertainment industry wields such an enviable influence and it’s at the heart of everything in Africa, then we need to saddle the players in the industry with weightier responsibilities. After all, to whom much is given, much is expected. Besides, the task of growing our economy is a collective responsibility because either directly or indirectly, we all milk from the economy. And at the moment, the cow has grown surprisingly lean, with barely enough milk. Whose fault is it that we’ve fed the cow with just grass? Whose fault is it that now that the pasture isn’t as green as it used to, the cow can’t even feed well, talk less of generating enough milk for others to consume? The cow shall regain its weight. Its nutrients shall return. There shall soon be milk for all, enough to go round. But only when it starts to consume a lot more than just grass. Thankfully, all hands are on deck to ensure this anticipated lot befalls the cow.
More than anyone else, our entertainers have a lot to do to attract more people to our tourist sites. These sites have enormous potentials to generate more revenue than the current statistics indicate. Our entertainers are like our mirrors to the world. Granted, they have done well in portraying to the entire world the diversity in our cultures, lifestyles and ethnicity. Through our films and music videos, the world now knows us well now. What about promoting our tourist sites through these means? How about taking deliberate measures to shoot some of their music videos at these sites? It’s not every time we should be portraying sex appeals, let’s incorporate the storyline to include the promotion of our numerous tourist sites. Let me put this in proper context: an average music video from any of our tier A artistes, such as Olamide, Davido, Yemi Alade, Omawunmi, Waje will get over a million YouTube views from across the world. Imagine if such a video was shot in any of these tourist sites! Over a million people worldwide will see and appreciate what we have and probably decide to visit!
Docudramas can also be very instrumental. Nollywood scripts should start accommodating the inclusion of these sites into its production. In addition to using the sites as set locations, storylines should also be developed within this line. No doubt, I understand the financial restraint this might pose. It is especially important for movie producers to seek for partnerships with government agencies. I do not think the Mbanefo-led Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) will refrain from supporting any work of art that seeks to promote tourism in Nigeria. I think our movie producers also need to get creative about sourcing for funds. There are a number of private organisations that are willing to put their money down to support such projects. Those who can’t commit to the project with funds can provide non-monetary supports such as manpower development (directing), free hotel rooms for the cast & crew, provision of state-of-the-art equipment and many more.
The role of government in making this recommendation witness the first sun cannot be over emphasized. An enabling environment has to be created and maintained. Access to funds, grants and loans needs to be improved. Government needs to facilitate or subsidize access to international trainings. I still believe there are a lot we can achieve with public-private partnerships. Much to our surprise, the abandoned stone might eventually become our cornerstone.
Olukayode Kolawole is the Head of PR & Marketing at Jumia Travel NG.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A travel card designed for tourists, business visitors, Diaspora returnees has been launched by Verve in partnership with Providus Bank.
Known as the ProvidusVerve Travel Card, the Naira-based travel card will allow inbound travellers to enjoy a smooth, secure, and convenient payment experience throughout their stay in Nigeria. It was powered by Verve’s secure.
Created to support the surge of tourists, expatriates, business visitors, conference delegates, and returning diaspora expected during the festive Detty December season, the ProvidusVerve Travel Card enables seamless payments for transportation, hotels, dining, shopping, entertainment, and everyday essentials nationwide.
The card also works on select global merchant platforms that accept Verve, including Netflix, Google Play, and other digital services, ensuring travellers enjoy uninterrupted access to familiar services.
The ProvidusVerve Travel Card eliminates the hassle of sourcing naira or converting foreign currency on arrival. It enables instant, secure transactions, reduces reliance on cash, and supports compliance with the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
It also mitigates the risks associated with carrying physical cash such as loss, theft, or fraud, offering a safe, regulation-aligned option for both online and in-person payments.
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card is a timely solution for inbound travellers seeking reliability, security, and simplicity while navigating Nigeria.
“Together with Providus Bank, we have created a product that eliminates the friction traditionally associated with accessing local payments.
“Whether for tourism, business, or festive activities, this card ensures a smooth financial experience from the moment visitors land,” the Vice President for Issuing and Acquiring Management for Africa at Verve International, Mr Paul Ohakim, stated.
On his part, the Divisional Head for Product Management and Solution Delivery at Interswitch, Mr Ademola Adeniran, described the partnership as a reflection of “Verve’s commitment to designing products that respond to real user needs.”
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card supports everyday experiences — from booking rides and hotels to shopping, streaming, and dining. It provides inbound travellers with a secure, compliant, digital-first way to experience Nigeria without financial barriers,” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that the federal government may recover and sell the assets of Dana Air to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped following the suspension of the airline’s operations.
The Minister disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Ministry’s fourth quarter stakeholders’ engagement to enhance governance for effective service delivery in aviation.
Speaking at the event themed “leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will be directed to probe why funds trapped by the airline are yet to be refunded.
He revealed that the authority suspended the operations of the airline as a matter of choice between safety and disaster.
“For Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster. So we didn’t take the commercial thing as priority. The priority was safety, and we all looked at the damning reports that we had met on the table.
“It was a decision of the NCAA to suspend them, but I pushed them to say, look, these are the reports we are seeing on the table about safety record, about lack of standards that put the lives of Nigerians at risk. If they continue flying, I don’t know whether most of us will be here. Many of us would have been victims of one of those flights. God forbid.”
According to him, “I have asked Najomo (NCAA director general) to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. He has to dig deep on that.
“One solution will also be that if that same individual or those entities are trying to come back to aviation under any guise, whether to go and register a new AOC or use any business within the aviation sector, they have to go and settle their debts first.
“We should look at their assets. There are assets that are still available. Let them sell their assets. Let’s cannibalize their revenue and pay people. Let’s find a way to go after their assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed.
“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it has imposed a N5 million penalty on Qatar Airways for consumer protection violations.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu, on X, adding that there may be other sanctions depending on how the airline treats other cases.
“Glad to announce that, today, the NCAA has sanctioned @qatarairways to the tune of five million naira being penalty for consumer protection-related infractions. In addition, the letters of investigation (LOI) written to the airline over other cases may lead to further sanctions if not treated satisfactorily,” Mr Achimugu wrote.
The fine followed an incident when a Nigerian passenger was accused by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member of sexual harassment during boarding in Lagos for a flight to the United States via Doha, Qatar.
The allegation was only reported in Doha, where the passenger was arrested, detained for 18 hours, fined, and compelled to sign a document written solely in Arabic.
Qatar Airways allegedly refused to continue his journey, forcing him to purchase another ticket at considerable financial and reputational cost.
The NCAA said it invited Qatar Airways’ country manager to a meeting over the incident, but he failed to attend, sending subordinates instead.
“I understand that some countries do not have advanced aviation consumer protection regulations like Nigeria does. In certain cases, some countries don’t even have any. This creates a situation where airlines operating out of those countries (mostly national carriers) act with disdain towards consumer protection enforcement in Nigeria.
“This is not a situation that we would accept here. It is against the law for ANY Airlines not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information to the NCAA. It is against the law to fail to comply with the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023,” Mr Achimugu said in an earlier post.
In September, the NCAA accused Qatar Airways of mistreating Nigerian passengers and failing to comply with consumer protection regulations under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
The regulator then threatened stiff penalties against the airline for repeatedly disregarding its directives.
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