The President of the African Tourism Board (ATB), Mr Cuthbert Ncube, has conferred Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, as the Board’s Global Brand Ambassador of ATB.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Odusanwo, who is currently the National President of the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN), was conferred with the title on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ncube lauded the uncommon leadership style of Odusanwo in championing the cause of tourism promotion as head of the ITPN Institute, as well as African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in its annual flagship event.
He also commended ITPN boss for the success of the 6th edition of ‘Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo’, in collaboration with public, private sector industrial players and stakeholders of the industry held in Abuja.
He explained that Odusanwo was bagged the award in view of the needed enlightenment campaigns and much promotion and publicity.
“If AfCFTA researched papers presented at the last summit are to be adequately adhered to, Africa’s dream of a liberal single market economy will be achieved.
” ATB aim at ensuring that Africa becomes one tourism destination of choice in the world”, he said.
He further stressed that it was the promotional activities of the likes of Odusanwo as ITPN boss in tourism professional certification, that the dream of entrenching tourism as a vital sectorial player in African economy would be realisable.
It would be recalled that during the National Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo, Ncube delivered a paper at the Summit titled: ‘Agenda 2063 The Africa We Want and the AfCFTA Agreement’.
According to him, Africa has the potentials and capacity in both material and human resources, to bail itself out of its scourge of underdevelopment, if the people will look inward rather than outside for its developmental solutions.
In his acceptance speech, Odusanwo expressed gratitude for the honour done to him by the leadership of the ATB.
He said that the award was a wake-up call for him to do more in his efforts, in promoting travel tourism and hospitality in Nigeria .
” Africa as a whole in terms of professional certificate of the manpower that will deliver competent service in the industry in entrench tourism, as the preferred sector in national and continental economic diversification drives.
” I call on all stakeholders and key players in the industry to cooperate with one another in mutual synergy for the growth and development of the industry,” he said.
He stressed that the Nigerian tourism industry should be united in order not to suffer much policy summersault.
He urged players in the industry, particularly the organised private sector to be united in their goals, for a dynamic and purposeful industry that tourism was meant to be. (NAN)
