Nigeria Calls for ECOWAS Collaboration to Enhance Tourism Sector Development

The Federal Government of Nigeria has called for greater collaboration among the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to develop the tourism sector and enhance its competitiveness on a global scale. This call was made by Folorunsho Coker, Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, during the opening ceremony of a meeting in Abuja focused on the ECOTOUR 19-29 action plan and the ECOWAS Tourism Accommodation Regulator.

Coker emphasized the importance of collaboration over competition, stating, “It’s the season to collaborate, not to compete. It’s in the spirit of collaboration that we will grow pan-African tourism.” He stressed the need to localize policies to ensure their effectiveness and advocated for the unification of tourism regulations across the 15 ECOWAS member states. Additionally, he called for the training of tourism operators and the integration of technology into the tourism industry, warning, “We must embrace technology or it will leave us behind.”

Massandjé Toure-Liste, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission, highlighted that the meeting aimed to operationalize the ECOTOUR 19-29 monitoring and evaluation mechanism and the ECOWAS Tourism Accommodation Regulator (ETAR). Represented by Dr. Anthony Elumelu, Director of the Private Sector at the ECOWAS Commission, she underscored the importance of private-sector collaboration in these initiatives. The meeting sought to draft operational guidelines and appoint focal points for the ECOTOUR mechanism while defining the composition and operational modalities for ETAR in alignment with Regulation C.REG.2/07/23.

Toure-Liste emphasized the need for strategic alignment and regional collaboration among private sector players, aiming to support the creation of a regional tourism confederation. The meeting, which drew inspiration from the ECOTOUR 19-29 action plan adopted by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, is expected to conclude on May 17, 2024.

This initiative underscores Nigeria’s commitment to fostering a unified and competitive tourism sector within the West African region, promoting responsible tourism and leveraging technology for sustainable growth.