PAMS Travel and Tours Limited, a leading tour management company, on Sunday unveiled the block of toilets rehabilitated by the company at the iconic Bower’s Tower in Ibadan.
Speaking during the official commissioning of the project, PAMS Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Olanike Mustapha,
urged Nigerians to harness huge potentials in tourism, to enhance sustainable national development.
Bowers tower is a historical landmark in Ibadan. It is a 60-foot tower that was built in 1936 in honour of Captain Robert Lister Bower – the first British resident in Nigeria.
The tower rests at the top of the “Oke Are” hill and gives a stunning 360 degree view of the Ibadan landscape.
Mrs Mustapha noted that the nation’s tourism sector, often under-exploited, holds great opportunities for economic growth, job creation, and enhanced global image. She called for more investments in the tourism sector so as to unlock untapped potentials that could bring fortunes to Nigeria.
“The tourism potential in Nigeria is huge, there is opportunity to diversify the nation’s revenue channels through tourism but there is lack of maintenance on the part of citizens.
“We need to improve on our maintenance attitude as a country, we can only attract large visitors and gain more revenue if we practice responsible tourism and
we don’t damage things at our historical sites.
“Investing in Nigeria’s tourism sector is more than boosting the country’s revenue, it is also a way of projecting our rich cultural image to the world. By safeguarding our historical sites, we can capitalize on cultural tourism, bringing visitors to have authentic experience of our cultural heritage, “she said.
Speaking on the project, Mrs Mustapha said that most tourist attractions sites in Nigeria are not in good shape when compared with what is obtainable in the world.
She added that PAMS Travels and Tours Limited is marking its 20 years in tourism business and Bower’s Tower rehabilitation project was part of the company’s Community Social Responsibility(CSR) work to commemorate its 20th anniversary.
Mrs Mustapha urged private sectors and other stakeholders to collaborate with the government through investments that would reposition the tourism sector in Nigeria.
She noted that tourism investment in Nigeria is ripe with capacity to yield maximum returns to all parties.
Speaking also, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Oyo state, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, lauded PAMS Travels and Tours Limited for partnering with the state government in its efforts to transform the tourism sector in the state.
Olatunbosun disclosed that the government would soon start a state tourism tour to all tourism corridors in all the zones of the state starting from Oke-Ogun zone.
He added that arrangements had also been concluded to organise holiday tourism tours for students to expose the kids to rich cultural heritage in the state.
The commissioner promised that the state government would not leave tourism development in the hands of the private sector alone.
He expressed readiness of the government to support any private organisation with genuine concepts that would transform the tourism sector in the state.
Earlier, Pastor Stephen Mustapha, the CEO MTS Geoservice limited who is also the husband of the PAMS Travel and Tours founder promised that his company would also renovate another structure within Bower’s Tower premises.
Pastor Stephen Mustapha who is also a registered surveyor promised to facilitate the process of preserving a significant heritage base at Bower’s Tower through Nigerian Institution of Surveyors(NIS), Oyo state.
He urged other well meaning Nigerians to contribute towards government efforts in restoring the glory of historical sites in the state.
The event was attended by Dr Oriyomi Hamzat, Chairman Agidigbo Fm, Oguntoye Twins of Twins Tourism, Directors, General Manager of Oyo State Cultural Centre, Staff of Oyo State Tourism Board,
and other career officers of state ministry of culture and tourism.
