Nigerian Newsday

The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Femi Fani Kayode, has promised to maintain a healthy relationship between the public and private sector for a better development of the Nigerian tourism sector.

Chief Kayode, who cited South Africa, Kenya and Zambia as countries whose tourism sectors were driven by private participation stated that he would ensure a viable partnership between his ministry and other tourism stakeholders to ensure that enabling environment created by the Federal Government were translated into profitable business climate for culture and tourism industrialists.

The minister, who was speaking while receiving Miss Tourism Nigeria, Abigail Alonge, last week, disclosed that the Federal Government would soon come up with an action plan aimed at restoring investors' confidence in investing in tourism, a measure, which according to him, would accelerate rapid development of tourism in Nigeria.

He however, urged Miss Tourism Nigeria to use her office to promote the positive values of Nigerian culture, especially among the youths and work in liaison with her counterparts in other countries in promoting Nigeria's image abroad.

Earlier, Miss Tourism Nigeria, Abigail Alonge, said she came to congratulate the minister for his appointment and also to tell him the level of the country's preparation for the 2006 Miss Tourism Peageant coming up in November, 2006 and Miss Tourism World in South Africa slated for October, 2006.

Ms. Alonge told the minister that in her effort to promote good ethics and positive cultural values among the Nigerian youth, she was presently packaging an awareness campaign tagged "Image Nigeria through tourism".

She assured the minister of her willingness to promote tourism in Nigeria and solicited the support of the ministry in promoting tourism at the grassroots.