Maiden Africa Trade Week opens in Addis Ababa; as organizers commend Abuja Declaration, Lagos Plan of Action for initiative

UN

The first-ever Africa Trade Week opened in Addis Ababa, Monday, with organizers of the event commending the various meetings held in Nigeria  as pivoting the project. This is also as the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) urged participants to come up with solutions to unanswered questions about the Continental Free Trade Area.

Speaking on behalf of Abdalla Hamdok, the ECA Acting Executive Secretary, his representative, David Luke, described CFTA as a bold initiative aiming to bring together 54 African countries with a combined population of more than one billion people and a combined gross domestic product of more than U.S. $3.4 trillion.

African leaders, with the CFTA, aim to, create a single continental market for goods and services, free movement of business persons and investments and expand intra-African trade, among other things. The CFTA is also expected to enhance competitiveness at the industry and enterprise levels on the continent.

He said, the questions include; how the continent can involve civil society and the African citizenry so that the CFTA has legitimacy among the people of Africa, what level of liberalization should the continent aim for at the beginning given adjustment costs, what safeguards are needed to protect the most vulnerable and those that may be driven out of business by the CFTA. For individual countries, which sectors should they liberalize, how does Africa get the details as rules of origin, technical barriers to trade sanitary and dispute settlement, among others.

Luke also urged participants to discuss how Africa can ensure the CFTA gets effectively implemented, adding the full range of key African trade policy issues should be looked at this week.

“These include Africa’s trade relations with Asia, Europe, the United States and emerging markets; how trade can support gender equality and empowerment; perspectives from the regional economic communities and the CFTA negotiations and related flanking measures,” he stressed.

He noted that relations with Asia, Europe and the United States account for massive shares of our trade currently and it is important for us to get these rights.

He said that the discussions would allow actors “to examine our trading relationships with these partners and how to recalibrate them to ensure coherence with the CFTA initiative and its objectives as well as trade and gender issues and the importance of trade policy being gender sensitive.”

He said the CFTA presents Africa with a critical opportunity for development, adding research by the ECA has shown that the CFTA could add up to 2.5 percent to Africa’s annual economic output which is around $65 billion based on data for 2014,” said Luke adding: “Unlike much of the commodity-driven growth that we have recently experienced, the CFTA is likely to make growth in the African economy more sustainable and inclusive.”

“As such, the CFTA presents us with an opportunity that we simply have to seize. But how do we do so? There are many questions that remain to be answered on how exactly to pursue this most important initiative.”

Also speaking during the opening ceremony, African Union Commissioner Fatima Haram Acyl of Trade and Industry said Africa needs to bring the cost of doing business down, adding this would significantly boost trade performance with trade facilitation, which looks at procedures and controls governing the movement of goods across borders, enabling Africa to do that.

“The Africa Trade Week is a historic event and the whole purpose of this week is to encourage fruitful and stimulating dialogue among all stakeholders,” said Ms. Acyl, adding the African Trade Facilitation Forum, that begins Thursday, will explore ways to overcome the obstacles to trade and imports across Africa such as non-tariff barriers including quotas, embargoes, sanctions and levies.

Mukhisa Kituyi Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) gave the keynote address. He said Africa should forget about the Abuja Declaration and focus on getting investors.

“To me the Abuja Declaration was important. It was a starting point towards where we are but even if there had not been an Abuja and a Lagos Plan of Action, the reasons for creating a Pan African free trade are important even from today’s challenges so we have enough reasons from today apart from our inherited responsibility from Abuja,” said Mr. Kituyi.

“These include Africa’s ability to expand trade, inclusive trade has the best possibilities, the most flexible opportunities are within Africa itself,” he said. “Second, as the world goes towards much more refined global value chains our ability to create regional value chains, trade linkages is the first building block towards being competent in order to find a scaled-up possibility on the global value chains and third, Africa’s unemployed youth needs trade related opportunities and these opportunities have to be dealt with through best practices in Africa and cross boarder engagements – infrastructure that goes beyond countries , possibilities of e-trade for example that go beyond country boundaries and this is the ecosystem that can only be created under a Pan African free trade area.”

One of the issues that participants will discuss is the relationship between Africa and the United States following the recent election of business magnate Donald Trump as President-elect of the US, the changing architecture of global trade, AGOA implementation, trade partnerships, the CFTA, trade facilitation and related issues.

The ATW is bringing together a broad range of participants, including senior governmental officials, representatives from RECs, civil society, CEOs and executives from the private sector, development banks, academia, international development agencies and the media, among others.

Inside newly-renovated Lagos Sheraton Hotel’s Club rooms, Club Lounge

New look Club Lounge

Recently acquired by Marriott International Hotels, the iconic Sheraton Lagos Hotel, has now unveiled its 107 newly renovated club rooms and suites, all refreshed and elegantly furnished with modern interiors and enhanced amenities.

Intuitive design blends seamlessly with local cultural elements and permeates through the re- energized interiors to provide a sense of place. The hotel also revealed an all new invigorated Sheraton® Club Lounge, the brand’s exclusive lounge destination that provides upgraded access and enhanced privileges.

“The renovation of our Club Rooms and Suites and the Sheraton Club Lounge at the Sheraton Lagos underscores the brand’s new elevated and customized approach to design as part of Sheraton 2020, a 10-point plan designed to put Sheraton back in the global spotlight and solidify its positioning as a leading global hotel brand of choice, everywhere,” said Barry Curran, Area General Manager for Nigeria, adding; “ We are confident that these modern enhancements and added amenities will further empower our guests and enable them to experience more during their stay. ”

New Living Room of the Presidential Suite

All of the 107 Sheraton Club Rooms and Suites have been completely redesigned in order to create a modern and elegant experience. Purposefully designed with attention to detail, they come equipped with the renowned Sheraton Signature Sleep Experience providing unmatched comfort. Particular attention has been given to the lighting to ensure efficient task lighting where required and just the right level of ambient light for relaxation. The use of a mosaic pattern on the wall tiling adds intricate detail to the room. The bathrooms are thoughtfully designed using quality materials and fittings with premium bath amenities.

The Hotel also unveiled the new Sheraton® Club Lounge which combines intuitive design with a higher level of comfort and access, providing Club guests with added privileges and highly personalized services. Guests can enjoy complimentary breakfast, tea, coffee, drinks and snacks.

“We’ve inspired change that we’re sure will exceed expectations by issuing modern, elegant and intelligent updates to both our service and Club Room and Suites design,” added Barry. “Our associates are excited to connect with our guests whenever possible, collaborate on their passions and make each stay memorable delivering on our commitment to service excellence”.

All new Business Suite

The hotel celebrated and showcased its refurbished spaces with “Paired”, the Sheraton brand’s new hotel lobby bar experience that comprises of artisanal small plates and elevated bar snacks, served alongside premium wines and suggested beverages. Paired stretches the boundaries of traditional pairing principles by blending ingredients together in new and unexpected ways. The food and beverage experience was complimented with music and cultural nuances for a truly delightful intimate evening attended by the esteemed invitees for this exclusive showcase and celebration.

Sheraton Lagos Hotel which opened in 1985 as the first arrival point for international travelers to Lagos has since been a city landmark and a hotspot for the local community as well as the international traveler. The hotel’s close proximity to the international airport has positioned it as a safe haven in the commercial capital of Nigeria.

Sheraton Lagos offers a variety of dining experiences that range from local cuisine to an international buffet to authentic Italian at the three restaurants. A lively and eclectic Sunday brunch, Theme Nights every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday at the Pool Terrace along with local live entertainment on Fridays and the very popular Wazobia nights form a highlight, while the buzzing atmosphere of the lobby and bars creates the ideal ambience for regular Sheraton Paired events where friends, family and colleagues connect over a delightful selection of premium wines paired with unexpected bar snacks and food.

Recreational facilities include Sheraton Fitness, outdoor pool, tennis courts, and a mini golf range ensuring guests can make the most out of every stay. Endless connectivity through high-speed Wi-Fi and a full-service business center caters to every business need round the clock while flexible meeting spaces with the dedicated event specialists ensure the success of any gathering.

Sheraton Lagos Hotel continues to deliver effortless travel experiences enabling guests to experience more combining international facilities with the warm and welcoming spirit of Nigerian hospitality.

ECOWAS member states to re-engage in the AU’s peer-review mechanism

How can the adherence and active participation of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member-countries in the processes of the African Union’s flagship governance initiative – the African Peer Review mechanism (APRM) – enhance regional integration in West Africa? This will be the subject of a two-day West Africa Regional Workshop on the APRM to bring together about 50 high-level delegates from the sub-region in Abidjan, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire from 28 to 29 November 2016. With the strong support of the Ivorian Government, the workshop has been jointly convened by the Secretariat of the AU’s APRM, ECOWAS and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

The two-day event will aim to build on the gains of the last workshops, of the same series, held in Chad (for Central African countries) and Kenya (for East African countries) to breathe a new lease of life into adhering member states’ appropriation of APRM’s principles and utilisation of its tools and processes, to reinvigorate interaction among member countries in the spirit of peer learning and to stimulate enough interest in the four ECOWAS non-members of the Mechanism to come aboard the Continental Governance Mechanism. The four countries include: Cabo Verde, the Gambia, Guinea and Guinea Bissau.

Working sessions will focus on the methodology of the second-generation review of countries – which would be of great interest to the six APRM member States in ECOWAS that have already been peer reviewed, member’ sponsorship of the four ECOWAS countries not yet affiliated with the Mechanism and a systematic sharing of best practices from all countries that have signed up to it. Participants will also connect the dots between governance principles as captured in the context APRM processes and what they mean for regional integration in West Africa.

As has been the tradition of past regional workshops, the meeting will also feature a special conference by the APRM Panel of Eminent Persons on the theme:  “Structural transformation and diversification of the economy in Africa: how to achieve it in a concrete manner.”

Context

The Abidjan workshop will be particularly exciting as it is being held in the ECOWAS sub-region, which has produced the largest number of committed member states (among the AU’s main regional economic communities) for APRM’s governance guiding principles and practices. From a total of 15 Member States belonging to ECOWAS, 11 are party to the APRM, which is just above 31 per cent of the Mechanism’s total membership as of 1 January 2016. In addition, out of the seventeen APRM members that have already been assessed and reviewed by the Heads of State and Government adhered to the Mechanism, six are ECOWAS members: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. This represents slightly over 35 per cent of all reviewed members.  This context is particularly relevant to give traction to APRM in West Africa and especially recruit ECOWAS’ four countries that are yet to accede to the Mechanism.

A Specialised Agency of the African Union (AU), the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was initiated in 2002 and established in 2003 by the African Union in the framework of the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

APRM is a tool for sharing experiences, reinforcing best practices, identifying deficiencies, and assessing capacity-building needs to foster policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration.

Member countries use the APRM to self–monitor all aspects of their governance and socio-economic development. African Union (AU) stakeholders participate in the self-assessment of all branches of government – executive, legislative and judicial – as well as the private sector, civil society and the media. The APRM Review Process gives member states a space for national dialogue on governance and socio-economic indicators and an opportunity to build consensus on the way forward.

Technical Committee to review Nigeria Tourism Master Plan inaugurated

(From left): The Director, International Tourism, Mrs. Ronke Wole Fasanya, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mrs. Ayo Adesugba, and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the inauguration of the Technical Committee on the Review of Nigeria’s Tourism Master Plan in Abuja on Wednesday.

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has inaugurated the Technical Committee on the Review of Nigeria’s Tourism Master Plan, with a call on members to articulate realistic policies that will drive tourism from the periphery to the mainstream of the economy.

According to a statement by Segun Adeyemi, the Special Assistant to the Minister, Mohammed gave the charge in Abuja, Wednesday, during the inauguration of the committee.

The Minister said even though the Tourism Master Plan was originally designed in 2006, a plan of action to implement it was abandoned half way hence the need for members of the committee to review the Plan in consonance with contemporary challenges and realities and the peculiarities of Nigeria.

“This team is to review our own Tourism Master Plan and see which aspect of that Master Plan needs to be reviewed in consonance with what has happened both in terms of technology, politics and even in terms of climate change.

“We are talking about reasonable and sustainable tourism because what we are offering to the world in terms of cultural and natural resources are also dependent on Mother Nature, and you must make sure that we do not expend it or expose it in a manner that children unborn will not have anything to show for it,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said part of the drive of this administration to make tourism one of the pillars of the nation’s economy is the resuscitation of the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) and the review of the Master Plan.

He said the Steering Committee on the PCT had already commenced the drafting of the Council’s agenda, which will be handed over to the President.

The Minister also disclosed the readiness of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to assist Nigeria in the review of the Master Plan, having contributed immensely to the drafting of the initial plan.

He underscored the need to develop a synergy among all sectors of government, the private sector and the local community in order to have a multi-sectoral approach towards the development of tourism in

Nigeria.

“The thing about tourism is that it’s probably the most inclusive of all endeavours in life,” Alhaji Mohammed said, noting that in tourism, the Ministries of Agriculture Health, Power, Works and Housing and even Trade and Investment are all important, ”and until we take this on board we will not be able to transit from being a

country of huge tourism potential to a country’s who’s economy will be driven by tourism and this is the beginning”.

Members of the Review Committee include representatives from the Federal Ministries of Information and Culture, Interior, Budget and National Planning, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, as well as the National Association of Nigeria’s Travel Agencies.

UNWTO to organize int’l congress on cultural heritage, creative tourism

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO( has concluded plans with the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria to jointly host the International Congress on World Civilizations and Creative Tourism from November  29 through to December1, this year.

The Congress will discuss how creative tourism can play a significant role in safeguarding and promoting tangible and intangible heritage as well as in generating socio-economic benefits.

In 2015, almost 1.2 billion international tourists travelled the world and UNWTO forecasts continued growth in the years to come. UNWTO estimates that cultural tourism accounts for around 40% of all international tourist arrivals as per the report ‘Tourism and Culture Synergies’.

The conference will address how world civilizations can be brought back to life through the collaboration with creative industries – such as architecture, design, arts, technology and science – while contributing to sustainable tourism development.

A high‑level debate moderated by CNN’s Max Foster will gather 20 ministers of tourism from around the world to discuss how effective partnership models can be developed to contribute to safeguarding and promoting world civilizations, while creating socio-economic benefits for local communities.

In 2015, Bulgaria received 7 million international tourists generating US$ 3.1 billion in exports. It is expected that this year the country, whose population is around 7 million, will welcome more than 8 million international tourists – up from 6 million in 2010. These results reflect the commitment of Bulgaria to tourism development, including the creation in 2014 and for the first time of a dedicated Ministry of Tourism.

Four Points by Sheraton Lagos extends CSR to Lekki orphanage

The Four Points by Sheraton team with kids of the orphanage during presentation of gift items

As part of its annual social responsibility programme tagged “Together as one” The Four Points by Sheraton Lagos on the 12th of November visited the Vigilant Heart Orphanage Lekki Lagos to show them love.

During the visit, the Founder of the orphanage Mrs. Maria Osawemen took the hotel management team on a brief history of the formation of the orphanage, including the story on how she got the inspiration some years ago to care and support the motherless, orphans and abandoned children, how the name

According to her, “Vigilant Heart” was coined by her husband which for him, ‘a loving heart is a vigilant heart.’ She also took time to explain to us the process of legally adopting a child as well as registering an abandoned child when found.

Subsequently the Director of Human Resources on behalf of the hotel and the team of volunteers made valuable donations of food items, provisions and nonperishable items for the upkeep and maintenance of the home. Mrs. Osawemen was elated and happy with the donations.

She said the hotel has given the kids the hope to survive with our gift and contribution.

The hotel volunteers later in the day took some children within the age range of 3-20 years on an excursion to the Mindscapes Children Museum in Lekki. The children were taken round the environment to experience creativity, play and lifetime learning of various forms.

African Travel Spend expected to rise 24% with introduction of African Union Passport in 2018

Nigeria, one of the countries surveyed

New research released by global travel technology provider, Sabre Corporation, has revealed that African air travel spend is expected to rise 24% with the introduction of the pan-African passport in 2018. The new passport will enable African travellers to visit other countries on the continent without a visa.

The comprehensive survey by Sabre aimed to uncover the opportunities and challenges faced by travellers in Africa, Wednesday, to help airlines’ growth and provide African travellers an overall better journey. Travellers from four countries, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt were surveyed, with those having flown in the past 24 months saying they would spend 24 percent more with the introduction of the passport (from $1,100 to $1,500 annually).

But despite a willingness among travellers to spend more on flights, travel in Africa still remains inaccessible to the majority, with only 23 percent of those surveyed having travelled abroad at all in the last two years. When asked what prevents them from travelling more, the top reasons were:

32% said travel is too expensive

31% said it is difficult obtaining VISAs

30% said it is too difficult to book travel

28% said there are no flights to their chosen destination

Travellers also expressed a number of gripes about their current experiences when travelling:

27% said the check-in process takes too long

22% said the check-in procedure is confusing

20% don’t like the food on aircrafts

19% think there is not enough to do at the airport

“The results suggest that while travel is inaccessible to many and is difficult for those who do travel, there is a still a strong desire to travel more,” said Dino Gelmetti, vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Airline Solutions, Sabre. “Additionally, most of the pain points can be addressed by airlines, and these tweaks could make all the difference to travellers. African carriers currently face tough competition from international rivals that control 88 percent of African airspace but, as demand for travel increases, African airlines have a real opportunity to win the lion’s share of bookings by addressing the pain points of travellers and going the extra mile to improve their experience.”

Like many other travellers globally, Africans also expressed a strong interest in experiencing a travel journey that was more personalised and appealing to their taste. Respondents said that they would be willing to spend up to $104 per trip on an airline’s extra products and services – such as excess baggage, cabin class upgrades, and special food and beverage – if it improved and personalised their journey.

“Airlines, globally, currently pocket an average of just $16 per passenger on ancillaries, so the fact that African travellers are prepared to spend six times more than that represents a significant retail opportunity for carriers on the continent,” said Gelmetti.  “Airlines will flourish if they invest in technology that can make sense of customer data and use it to offer passengers the right product in the right context at the right time. This technology, which empowers airlines to mirror the personalised shopping tactics already mastered by the online retail industry has been proven to increase ancillary revenue by an average of 10 percent, and is being used by some of the world’s most forward-thinking carriers.”

As further encouragement for African carriers, Sabre’s survey respondents stated a number of reasons why people would choose to fly with their local carrier over a foreign airline; the top three reasons were:

It offers cheaper tickets

It offers the latest technology on board

It offers greater comfort on board.

FAMS Embassy Suites; redefining Badagry hospitality

FAMS Embassy Suites

VICTOR NZE

This is by all standards the most expensive hotel in Badagry with room rates ranging from N25, 000 to as high as an incredible N150, 000 per night; Welcome to the FAMS Embassy Suites, the imposing edifice sitting on the Lagos-Badagry expressway in Ibereko.

It is not for nothing that this expansive 50-room hotel stands out in the Badagry axis of Lagos, it conspicuously lights up the community, with an expression of opulence registered in Badagry. There are very few hotel rooms going for as high as N150, 000 per night in the entire Lagos and Abuja.

However, beside, the price, this is perhaps one of the few hotels which offer up to 150MB free wifi for guests, as well as free room charge for up to two children under 12 years accompanying their parents.

Tastefully-furnished with superior decor, the FAMS Embassy Suites is the hotel where almost every room is a suite on its own, with the Penthouse Suite offering an impressive view of the Ibereko and Badagry towns on one side and the Atlantic Ocean, on another side.

For the Ogun State-born Fatai Shokunbi, chairman of FAMS Embassy Suites, who also doubles as the chairman of the Badagry Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB), it is about a passion for the industry and a desire to lift the tourism sector in Badagry.

The hotel

“This hotel took three years to build. You can see why it took so long by the quality of the building materials used and also by the quality of the builders some of who had to come all the way from across the border. By next year, it would have completed three years in operation.

Fatai Shokunbi

“We derived it from the initials of my name and that of my younger brother Fatai Adegboyega Musibau Shokunbi (FAMS). Our goals at FAMS Embassy Suites remain job creation for the community, a passion for the tourism sector and to grow the Badagry heritage tourism in our own unique way.

“The hotel offers a standard swimming pool, gym, club, a VIP lounge for our visitors, conference rooms with visual facilities, a restaurant for all dishes, and many more facilities for guests and non-guests, in addition to guided tours of the various heritage sites of Badagry for our guests who request for the service.

Location

“This hotel was not originally planned to be located in Badagry. It was supposed to be in Lome or Seme area, in Togo and Benin Republic, respectively. These were the hubs of trading activities on the sub-region but at the stage of final decision between my brother and I (both of us own the hotel, by the way), I stopped to reconsider the decision. I knew Badagry had potential for growth. It has a future. I believe it will grow to become an emerging destination for trade and tourism in Africa. If you are going to Lome, Accra, Cotonou and other cities in West Africa, you will have to pass through Badagry from Nigeria or to Nigeria.

“Incidentally, this conviction also informed our decision to site the FEMS Embassy Suites here and largely because of my passion for tourism and conviction that Badagry remains a destination with a huge potential for return on investment for investors. I know Badagry has economic potential. I believe that it will grow. If you are going to Ghana, Togo or Benin Republic from here, even if you are coming here from those countries, you will pass through Badagry.

Challenges

“We have challenges, of course. It has to do with the community. But I believe that better relations will resolve it and even though I personally think some of the demands are not tenable, I however remain optimistic that time, constant dialoguing and relations with the community will resolve all that.

View of Badagry from the Penthouse suite

“However, I’m concerned about the state of roads leading to the town and I’m saying this because we know there’s a lot of work to be done towards attaining that status we all expect Badagry to reach. It’s not just fixing the roads when a prominent politician is about to visit the town as has been noticed of late; maintaining the roads has to be a routine procedure because roads are important for businesses to thrive.

“Government needs to do more. Government has to do find a way through evolving and enacting policies that will encourage people outside the country to come in and invest. This is how an economy grows anywhere in the world. I know for sure that there are many Nigerians abroad who want to come home and invest but the harsh conditions are a huge drawback. Incentives have to be provided as it is being done Ghana for businesses springing up in that country.  Presently, the running costs for hotels are not encouraging.

“What the Lagos State government is planning for Badagry is laudable. I believe the government means well for the town but I also worry over how soon these projects will take off. The proposed sea port and petroleum refinery are all good infrastructures for Badagry with a bigger prospect to grow the tourism industry. I’m speaking as businessman not a politician.

Projections

“My projection is that within three to five years, the rationale for the project would be realised. So far, we are just over two years in operation and by February next year, we will complete three years in the business.

“The hotel employs over 100 staff and running cost of N7million while we earn a little less than N8million. But the hotel is running itself since we have yet to break even. Its earnings are just about enough to sustain it. We projected a target of three years to break even, but so far running and operational costs are making that difficult. This is why I said earlier that the government, both at the state and federal levels need to look into the business environment with a view to making it more attractive for investors to come in.

The BCVB

“The Badagry Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB) was established to showcase Badagry as a tourist destination for tourists and visitors alike to come and see the heritage sites. Also, it was established to make sure that people come here and see what Badagry has to offer.

National Mirror Committee on Tourism completes work on hotel standardisation

Nigeria Tourism

A major feat towards the regulation and standardisation of hospitality business in Nigeria has been achieved by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) as its National Mirror Committee (NMC) on Tourism and related activities has successfully completed work on the first ever national framework on standards of Nigerian hotels, which is expected to form the baseline for the grading and classification of hotels in the country once approved.

Head Ogun State Office of SON, Engr. Enebi Shaibu Onucheyo who represented the Director General of SON, Osita Anthony Aboloma, at the event held in Lagos recently, described this as a great achievement, which would bring about development in the tourism industry and lift it to another level as well as build confident in the products and services offered by the industry in Nigeria.

He commended the Chairperson of the committee, Mrs. Chika Balogun, who is also the director general of the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) and all the various tourism associations and operators who have contributed to the document for their various contributions, which he said made it possible to produce the document which would now be presented to the council of SON and the international community such as the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) for approval before it can become operational.

The National Mirror Committee was inaugurated by SON in April this year in Lagos with the mandate to review and adopt the International Standard Organisation (ISO/T228) and Africa Organisation for Standardisation set up by ECOWAS in accordance with international best practices for use in the tourism industry.

Three other documents, which are meant for use in the Nigerian tourism industry were also presented and adopted by the committee making it four documents that were deliberated on and adopted.

Speaking on this development, Mrs. Balogun, said it has great import for tourism as it would further boost the image of the country, inspire confidence in investors, encourage more investment, create jobs and wealth for the country.

“This would attract Direct Foreign Investment (FDI), local and regional investments to the country and the tourism industry because would not put their money where they are not sure but with such an important document as standards for hotels, it would boost the confidence of investors to now trust the industry and invest in it becomes it has now become more reliable and respected as there are now standards of operation to guide operators and investors.”

Repositioning Destination Badagry; the BCVB project

Badagry overlooking the ocean from Ibereko

VICTOR NZE

In the wake of the crude oil find in the region and a grandiose plan by the Lagos State Government to complement the offshore discovery with the location of a multi-billion dollar deep sea port in the domain, it is now pertinent that Badagry is about to enter a new phase in its nearly seven century-old existence. And the Badagry Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB) is not taking matters for granted, knowing what this development portends for the town.

It would be recalled that only last month, in October, Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, said the completion of a proposed $2.6bn Badagry Deep Sea Port Project would mark a turning point in the growth of Badagry and the nation’s economy.

the Lagos-Badagry expressway

Ambode while meeting with Mr. Morten Engelstoft, the Chief Executive Officer designate, APM Terminals (Maersk Group) in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the advancement of the deep sea port, added that the project will also complement the emergence of Lagos as the fifth largest economy in Africa.

“This port and free zone, situated on over 1000 hectares is expected to be the largest deep sea port in Africa upon its completion. The project will include a container terminal, oil & gas services and a liquid bulk terminal, with general cargo and RO-RO facilities,” Ambode said,

He added that the port was expected to generate 500,000 direct and indirect jobs upon completion and promised that the state government would ensure the protection of the interests of the host communities.

Fatai Shokunbi, BCVB chairman

Ambode also said talks were in advanced stage over the funding of Lot 3 of the Mile 2 to Seme 10-lane highway expansion, adding that it would complement the ongoing Badagry Deep Sea Port Project, further noting that the Lot 3 would run from Okokomaiko-Badagry-Seme, as he affirmed the commitment of his administration to providing an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the State.

Ambode said that the project, which was 500 metres away from the ‘Point of No Return,’ in Badagry would also serve as a tourist attraction.

“For us, we have decided to protect that particular place to make sure that tourism is also complemented in this project.

“With a Deep Sea Port project like this, it means that there will be new settlements in Badagry, new towns and the standard of living will be positively affected by this kind of project. “I just want to assure you that simultaneously, those two projects will start in earnest and then we will use that to create jobs for our people and also increase the GDP of the state’s economy.

“I assure you strongly that within the next four years, you will see a dramatic change in this axis of Lagos,” Ambode also said at a separate forum.

“We are likely to have three Sea Ports in Lagos in another two years; we have the Badagry Deep Sea Port and the Lekki Port and also the Apapa port,” said the governor.

Similarly, in May, this year, the Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum (YFP) announced the commencement of production of crude oil from its OML 113 offshore field in Aje, Badagry, which now puts Lagos on the list of oil-producing states in the country.

(From left): Bureau’s scribe, Mr Ashamu Sewanu Fadipe, Mr Whedeyan Hundeyin, chairman of the Badagry Zone of the Lagos State Hoteliers Association

YFP said after over 25 years of exploratory, appraisal and developmental activities, it had successfully pioneered the opening of the Frontier Benin Embayment, describing the Aje field as the first to record production from this part of Nigeria and the first production outside of the Niger Delta.

It said the inauguration of the Front Puffin Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel was successfully completed after its arrival in Nigeria on March 16, 2016.

Oil produced from the Aje field will be stored on the Front Puffin, which has production capacity of 40,000 barrels of oil per day and storage capacity of 750,000 barrels, according to the YFP.

“The attainment of this milestone is indeed a laudable achievement not just for the YFP, but for the Nigerian oil and gas industry as a whole and indeed Lagos State, which can now be addressed as an oil-producing state.

“We are very proud of and appreciate the efforts, determination and commitment of the entire Aje project team, past and present; the constant support from our regulators, the DPR and Ministry of Petroleum; and our financiers. We believe this crucial support will spur us on to even greater achievements,” Folawiyo added.

Aje is an offshore field located in OML 113 in Badagry. The field is situated in water depths ranging from 100 to 1,000 metres and is about 24 kilometres from the coast. It contains hydrocarbon resources in sandstone reservoirs in three main levels – a Turonian gas condensate reservoir, a Cenomanian oil reservoir and an Albian gas condensate reservoir.

Against the backdrop of these recent developments, therefore, the Bureau, from November 15 through to 17, had cause to organize a familiarization trip for tourism & travel journalists and bloggers around heritage sites, hospitality establishments in Badagry.

The tour also provided a forum for interaction with the paramount ruler of Badagry kingdom, as well as a host of other traditional rulers in Badagry, especially those who would serve as host communities for the proposed deep sea port and oil facilities.

Badagry undoubtedly, has benefitted immensely from its enviable position as a border community housing two border posts in Owode and Seme towns which serve as direct boundaries with the Benin Republic, and further down the sub-regional coast of other Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) members like Ghana, Togo and Liberia.

This position has meant that hotels and other leisure outfits have catered for the hospitality demands of clients transiting to other West African states via the town.

As it is now, Badagry is a gateway town about to transform into a mega city, and the Bureau is getting a head start in projects to prepare the minds of the people and the business community to this huge development.

Founded around 1425 AD, Badagry, populated by the Egun and the Awori majorly, has many things going for it; aside from the fact that it remains a serene and unspoilt natural town. It happens to be a very historic town with regards Nigeria’s journey to political independence from the British.

As a tourism hub, Badagry was a major slave trading port and market on the West African coastline. The town alone accounted for nearly one million slaves sold to the Newfound Lands in the Americas.

Today, Badagry, is a preferred destination for heritage tourism, with its historic sites, landscapes, cultural landmarks, and relic telling the Trans-Atlantic slave trade era. There are structures, sites, and memories of this iniquitous period for domestic and international tourists to see as proof of the inhumanity suffered by Africans; and those structures form the heritage tourism attraction Badagry has now become.

Badagry is also one of the earliest local Government Authorities in the Nigeria beginning with the Treaty of Cession in 1863 and the posting of the District Officers from England in 1865. Badagry became outstanding council during the colonial era. By 1938, it became the Badagry Town Council and later renamed the Egun-Awori Native Authority in 1948 before becoming the present-day Badagry Local Government Area in 1976.

The BCVB, established to provide platform to harness and showcase Badagry Tourism only recently, has in a space of two years now found itself now striving to cut a workable framework of operations between, on one hand, the emerging business interests and the communities of Badagry, who have become accustomed to heritage tourism, to meeting the challenges of industrialization, now staring Badagry in the face.

On the other hand, the bureau is also tasked with driving rapid infrastructural and capacity development among the hospitality establishments which dot the landscape of Badagry in order for them to meet the demands of a new type of business clientele represented by the international business tourists; and further wooing the support of the Lagos State Government, people and traditional monarchs of Badagry to protect and safeguard the revered heritage sites which had provided economic sustenance to the communities this long.

The need to preserve and protect these heritage sites is informed by the heavy price which heritage sites have been made to pay for industrialization in other climes.

Badagry is a heritage tourism destination recognized by historians across the world, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as well as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and others.

The bureau is getting off its mark early as it envisages that Badagry is likely to witness a level of infrastructural development and industrialization that can only rivalled by the Eko Atlantic City project in Lagos.

Badagry tourism on its part can still be said to be a fledgling industry. With hotel room rates from as low as N3, 500 to those of N150, 000 per night, the hospitality sector is still growing albeit, slowly, largely due to huge running costs encountered by hoteliers, and occasioned by poor infrastructure in place in the sprawling town.

According to Mr. Fatai Shokunbi, the BCVB chairman, who also doubles as chairman of FAMS Embassy Suites, situated along the Lagos-Badagry expressway in Ibereko, the Bureau is a collaborative effort of the Lagos State Government, the Badagry Local Government as well as members of the organized private sector operating in Badagry.

“The bureau was established to showcase Badagry as a tourist destination for tourists and visitors alike to come and see the heritage sites. Also, it was established to make sure that people come here and see what Badagry has to offer.

“Incidentally, this belief also informed our decision to site the FEMS Embassy Suites here and largely because of my passion for tourism and conviction that Badagry remains a destination with a huge potential for return on investment for investors

“I know Badagry has economic potential. I believe that it will grow. If you are going to Ghana, Togo or Benin Republic from here, even if you are coming here from those countries, you will pass through Badagry.

“What the Lagos State government is planning for Badagry is laudable. I believe the government means well for the town but I also worry over how soon these projects will take off. The proposed sea port and petroleum refinery are all good infrastructures for Badagry with a bigger prospect to grow the tourism industry. I’m speaking as businessman not a politician.

“However, I’m concerned about the state of roads leading to the town and I’m saying this because we know there’s a lot of work to be done towards attaining that status we all expect Badagry to reach. It’s not just fixing the roads when a prominent politician is about to visit the town as has been noticed of late; maintaining the roads has to be a routine procedure because roads are important for businesses to thrive.

“Government needs to do more. Government has to do find a way through evolving and enacting policies that will encourage people outside the country to come in and invest. This is how an economy grows anywhere in the world. I know for sure that there are many Nigerians abroad who want to come home and invest but the harsh conditions are a huge drawback. Incentives have to be provided as it is being done Ghana for businesses springing up in that country. Presently, the running costs for hotels are not encouraging,” Shokunbi said

For the Bureau’s scribe, Mr Ashamu Sewanu Fadipe, a former Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations, it is what the Bureau had worked for all this while; the idea of taking Badagry tourism to the next level, which according to him, portends many positives for both the people and business community.

“I would like to point out first that the BCVB was originally established to focus on international conference management in and around Badagry, and to meet the needs of conference participants, visitors and destination operators alike, in addition to tour guide services.

“In line with this mandate and in the light of the recent developments in the form of the deep sea port and petroleum refinery lined up for the town, we on our part, have also lined up a host of programmes for next year 2017. These projects we believe are tailored to raising the profile of Badagry as a Meetings, Incentive, Conference and Events destination which is also a build-up to the ultimate goal of sensitizing the minds of the people and business community of what is coming ahead for them by way infrastructural development.

“The Lagos Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (LAHTIC), is one of them. It is an event of international level organized annually by the bureau which aims at promoting hotel and tourism business in Badagry, as well as the rest of Lagos communities holds from August 24 to 25, next year.

“The event also provides a veritable platform for participants to meet and interact with influencers in the industry from within and outside the country.

“Also we have the Badagry Economic Summit planned by the Bureau for August 27 through 30 which holds under the theme of; ‘Unleashing Investment Potential Around Seaport and Tourism Projects along Badagry-Epe Coastal Investment Advantage.’

“The event is a bi-annual conference which aims at attracting local and international investors to Badagry’s investment advantages. The project also seeks to work with the Nigerian and as well as the Lagos State Investment promotion agencies, multi-national and private business corporations and other stakeholders in Badagry trade corridor.

“In addition, we have lined up the Yoruba Conference Series, which is also another project of the Bureau planned for next year under the theme of; ‘Danger of Distorted Yoruba To Subsequent Yoruba Generation,’ and which aims to reunite distorted Yoruba historical accounts from the African standpoint, using conference resolutions as unifying basis.

“The project which holds every five years will hold next year but with an unconfirmed date.

“And finally we have the Igbo Art and Culture Festival, an event planned for April 28 to 30, 2017 by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Badagry in collaboration with the bureau which is expected to feature Igbo cultural performances, visual art exhibitions, colloquium, workshop and many more from the Igbo community in the town.

“Let me also seize this opportunity to point out that Badagry alone has eight islands located on its lagoon overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We have been engaging the state government on this matter so that they can decide on what to do with them. Some are entirely uninhabited while others are perfect for eco-tourism and bird watchers. The earlier the government finds purpose for these islands the better for us at the Bureau so we can also on our part begin promoting these islands as tourist destinations,” Fadipe stressed.

For Mr Whedeyan Hundeyin, the owner of the Soketta Hotels, chairman of the Badagry Zone of the Lagos State Hoteliers Association, the prospect for tourism in the town remain bright with many positives for expanded growth with the coming of the huge investment from the proposed deep sea ports and crude oil installations in the town.

“We have been constantly engaging governments at the state level and local level and at each forum we raise the issue of infrastructure as one the biggest drivers of any economy. Badagry tourism is not an exception. It is this kind of investment that can lift our tourism industry.

“We have prepared for it as we regularly harp on the need for our members to improve their capacity and service delivery level so that a good impression can be created in the minds of our guests. With a bigger clientele base now in the offing for us, we hope the projects can begin in earnest. But having said that, other amenities like roads need to be attended to as fast as possible.”

For the traditional monarchs, paramount ruler of the Badagry Kingdom, the Akran, HRH Oba Wheno Menu-Toyi II, posited that it is a welcome development for the Lagos State government to recognize his kingdom in terms of developmental projects.

“I am not surprised that these projects are coming to pass in my lifetime. This has been what I have been working and planning for all through my reign as ruler of Badagry.

“For us, including me and my chiefs here to make sure there is a smooth working relation with the multi-national companies coming for the projects to make sure there is no friction. We have made ourselves available and ready for a peaceful transition.

“It’s not my desire or that of the state Governor Ambode for any friction or trouble by way of youth restiveness, community dissatisfaction or disenfranchisement towards the projects planned for my kingdom,” said the 80 year-old monarch, who completes 40 years on the throne by April, next year.

For the Alapa of Egun-Awori, the Apa kingdom, Oba Oyekan Akanmi Olufemiloye Ajose Possi III, in whose domain the proposed deep sea port will be located, it is all about gratitude to Governor Ambode, even as he assured cooperation of his people with the companies involved with the projects.

According to him, his people had resolved that the negative effects of oil exploration and its attendant societal effects as witnessed in the Niger – Delta, particularly Ogoniland, would be avoided by ensuring that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report is followed strictly.

He revealed that the report of EIA conducted by his palace has already been submitted to authorities concerned with the project and the high ranking chiefs in the community for them to study and come out with a position on the best way forward.

“We have already commissioned a team of experts to conduct an EIA and the report submitted to the people because we don’t want what happened to Ogoniland to happen to happen here. Anybody who wants to bring development to our land would be assigned, the palace and chiefs will control the people and the boys. My people are peace-loving, we are ready for the investors, we have the land and we are ready for development.”

A courtesy call was also paid to the palace of the Onibereko of Ibereko, Oba Israel Adewale Okoya, who assured the readiness of his community to embrace the huge development planned by the state government, as he described his people are ‘ receptive and hospitable.’

Some of the accredited hospitality establishments toured by the team included: the iconic Soketta Hotels, the expansive Whispering Palms leisure resort, the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria lodging facilities, impressive Next Level Hotels & Suites, ever-busy Star Rise Golden Hotel, the scenic Hilander O2 leisure spot, the spacious Hunwaji Conference halls, the relaxing Ar-rakhab beach & holiday resort and the magnificent FAMS Embassy Suites.

Heritage sites visited included: The Badagry Heritage Museum, First Storey Building in Nigeria, Old Slave Market, where slaves were purchased, District Officer’s Residence and office, the Williams Seriki Abass barracoon, where purchased slaves are holed up awaiting shipment to the Americas, the Agia monument, the Mobee Royal Family original slave relics museum and the administrative office of the bureau located on Vlekete street which it shares with the old slave market and DO’s residence.

“We have just realised the importance of partnering with the media in our aim of promoting Badagry as a major tourist destination which informed the setting up of the bureau in the first instance. We know we must devise a workable framework or method for protecting the heritage sites in the face of the new economy envisaged for Badagry. We have already begun working in that direction at the Bureau. So we are prepared and we are working out modalities geared towards meeting that challenge,” Fadipe beamed with optimism.