African tourism economy will remain in shambles if — Lai

The African economy of tourism will continue to remain in shambles if the developed nations fail to supply the continent with adequate vaccines for   COVID-19, with only three percent of the African population that has received the vaccine.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, made this statement yesterday at the occasion to mark World Tourism Day in Birnin Kebbi.

He said the fact remains that if campaigns against social gatherings continue as a way of checking COVID-19, tourism would continue to remain comatose.

The minister said Kebbi State was chosen for the occasion, considering the state’s potential in cultural tourism, adding that tourism had gone beyond the entertainment business because if well harnessed, it could become a hub for economic development.

“The choice of Kebbi State to host the World Tourism Day is as a result of the tourism potential of the state which has been showcased not only nationally but internationally,” he said.

In his remarks, the Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Col. Ismaila Yombe (rtd), commended the Federal Government for launching the World Tourism Day in Kebbi, adding that the state will continue to explore all the cultural endowment in the state to the fullest.