NTDA Boss Folorunsho Coker Pushes For Presidential Tourism Council, Industry Satellite Account

The Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, Folorunsho Folarin-Coker, is advocating for the convening of a Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) and the establishment of a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) as next-level boosters for the industry.

The tourism boss makes this call amid ongoing efforts to implement the widely applauded legislative framework, a landmark achievement of his tenure.

“We need to host a Presidential Council on Tourism. That means the President presides over all assets that tourism requires to flourish—from the police to immigration, customs, and all other relevant agencies. When the President presides, it is no longer a minister asking a favor from another minister; it becomes a presidential directive,” explained Coker, who spent six years working to secure the legal framework that transformed tourism into a more business-oriented, collaborative effort between the government and the private sector.

Checks revealed that the PCT, which the tourism boss wants convened, is a high-level advisory and policy coordination body established to drive the growth and development of the tourism sector. Chaired by the President, it includes key government officials, private sector stakeholders, and experts in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Among its key functions are policy formulation and implementation, infrastructure development, inter-ministerial coordination, and investment promotion and funding.

Coker is making this call as part of efforts to build the right foundation for what he describes as “a vibrant and virile tourism ecosystem.”

“We are not where we should be. The potential of Nigeria is greater than what we have, but there have been improvements. One of the things we generally don’t do in Nigeria is build the right foundation for the structure we want to carry.

“So, over the years, we have been building the foundation required to support a vibrant and virile tourism ecosystem,” he explained.

The hosting of the Presidential Council on Tourism will build on the gains of the legislative framework that birthed the Nigerian Tourism Development Act 2022.

The tourism chief, who decried what he labeled “silo thinking”—which has limited federal agencies’ participation in managing tourism assets in most states to just “technical support and funding”—also insisted on the establishment of a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA).

A TSA is a framework used to measure the economic contribution of tourism to a country’s economy while providing detailed data on how tourism interacts with other sectors.

Available information reveals that data from the TSA is vital for policy decision-making, investment planning, performance evaluation, and even job creation monitoring.

“A lot of figures have been thrown around—from N12 billion to N92 billion—regarding what happened in Nigeria over the December period.

“Now, without a Tourism Satellite Account, you can’t measure how many people came, where they came from, where they stayed, how much they spent. The data is so important because it allows you to target markets, know specifics, and plan accordingly,” Coker explained.

Checks revealed that despite extensive past efforts, Nigeria does not have an operational TSA.

Disclosing some of the achievements that the hosting of the PCT and the establishment of a TSA would build upon, the Director General highlighted the digital platforms already developed.

“We have built digital platforms—one is Tour Nigeria, which has a digital footprint of about 10 million, and the other is Nigerian Flavours.

“Our preach is: Tour Nigeria and experience the flavors of Nigeria. And those flavours we have done in partnership with Google Arts and Culture to showcase Nigeria through cooking techniques, fashion, film, and music.”

He underscored the importance of these initiatives, adding, “We now have new means of cultural expression. Our music is the largest in Africa and is gaining momentum globally. Our film industry is ranked second, and even our food is making a mark.”

Coker, who holds the esteemed title of Baba Eto of Yorubaland, made these remarks as a guest on an episode of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) program Tuesday Live.