The Minister of Tourism, Ms Lola Ade-John says the ministry will collaborate with the National Christians Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) to develop religious tourist sites in the country.
Ade-John made this known when she paid a courtesy visit to Executive Secretary of NCPC, Rev. Yakubu Pam at his in Abuja on Thursday.
In an interview with newsmen after the visit, Ade-John said that she came to visit NCPC to solicit support for tourism sector in Nigeria.
She said that the aim was to attract tourists, create jobs for the unemployed and to escalate revenue generation for the country.
“We usually think of tourism as going on holiday abroad but tourism is about religion, we are used to going to Jerusalem, Mecca and the Vatican.
“We also have a lot of religious activities here and we have one or two notable sites for both Christians and Muslims, even traditional religions and we want to capitalise on that to create jobs and to increase revenue,” she said.
On his part, Pam said that the initiative is laudable and that there was need make the world know about the many festivals and religious sites in the country.
The NCPC boss said that there was establish and organise places that draw attraction of people outside Nigeria, and people within.
“We have a lot of festival, holy site and traditional sites the world needs to know; they’re a lot of festival both religious and traditional that are organised that the world needs to know.
“That is why she has come and we need to collaborate to produce a good pilgrimage for this country for people to have the desire to come here for their holiday periods.
“It is not only for us coming here and not for us to be going out for holidays and spending our money elsewhere,” he said.
Pam commended the courage of the minister and her zeal to develop tourism saying that she is a model for women in Nigeria. (NAN)
