4 tips to enjoy a ‘healthy’ happy hour in Abuja

Abuja boasts of a number clubs, lounges and pubs that serve a variety of beverages: spirits, cocktails and wines, and every fun-lover in Abuja appreciates the need for happy hour at the end of a long day or on weekend nights.  But then, while the happy hour is a much-needed bonding time, it is important that participants keep tab on their calorie budget.  The key to a healthy lifestyle is balance ,therefore eating or drinking to excess while  at your favorite bar’s happy hour can have serious repercussions on your health.

If you enjoy having a “happy hour” while visiting Abuja, but you are striving to live a healthy lifestyle, 

Order low-calorie beverages

Most people are unaware of the facts but, some alcoholic drinks actually are fattening and unhealthy as they are high in sugar and consequently calories. Skip the sugary options, especially cocktails and go for wine. If you insist on a cocktail, ask the bartender to skip the simple syrup or agave. Some alcoholic brands are low-calorie, find out them out and request for them when you are at the bar. If you love spirits as well, go for vodka and mix with club soda. Club soda is not only sugar free, it keeps you hydrated which is helpful when drinking.

Hydrate between drinks

While drinking and having a good time, remember to slow down. Do not be constricted by peer pressure, limit the number of drinks you gulp down and order water or club soda to take at intervals, possibly in between your drink orders.  Heavy drinking can only leads to hangovers when your body is dehydrated. If you drink water in the same quantity to your booze, there is a slim chance of you going overboard.

Snack smart

Happy hour drinking usually comes with a lot of snacking. Fries, chicken wings, barbeque, salted nuts etc may be offered at a great price, and may seem like a good combination for your beverage, but they may not the best option if you are keen on staying healthy. If you are puckish and looking for what to nibble on while guzzling your beer or cocktails, go for something high in protein and low in fat or grease. Sea food like shrimp and fish, keep calories low by filling you up until dinner. Even better, to eliminate this temptation completely, eat a proper healthy meal before you go to the bar.

Try a happy hour at home

Having a happy hour at home not only saves your waistline, it cushions your wallet, ensuring extra coins or notes are removed from it. A happy hour at home does not have to be alone; you can invite your friend or co-workers over for a drink. A chill at your place of residence puts you in charge of the kind of drinks and food you consume through the time. You can ask your friends to bring light snacks to ease some of your hosting duties, but essentially you control the kind of cocktails that are served, its ingredients and frequency.

By Jovago team

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5 funny yet annoying things Nigerians do at the cinema

The cinema culture is fast returning at an appreciable pace after it declined in the 1990s. Today, cinemas like Ozone, Silverbird and Genesis Deluxe around the country are witnessing reasonable attendance. While the many rediscover the joy of blockbuster movies on a big screen, there are some persons who may be hell-bent on diverting your attention from the screenplay and this can be annoying.

The prolific commentator

They are better commentators than Andy Gray and John Motson. However, they do not to run football commentaries but annoying movie commentaries at the cinema. They will narrate every scene, they cannot keep their emotions under wraps and they always have something to say about the movie. They cannot simply keep their mouth shut. This kind of people can be very frustrating.

The phone talkative

Your phone rings every second in the cinema hall and you pick it every time it rings. Even if you are a businessman, your phone should be on silent rather than disturbing others with your calls. It is better to just switch it off when you are at the movies. In addition, remember that you are on a date with your significant other, you should make it an eventful evening for her. However, for some people, they do not really care, they will convert the cinema into a phone call hub even though there is a clear sign that you should switch-off your phone.

The selfie addict

You cannot do without taking pictures even in the cinema. You flip out your phone, pose and click! These pictures are immediately uploaded on social media. It is either you take your pictures before or after the not everyone will be happy with the lousy display of your photography talent.

The crying baby
You will definitely regret going to the cinema if you are in the same hall with a crying baby. The question is why do some mothers bring their babies to the cinema? Because at a particular point during the movie, the baby will inescapably brawl its lungs. If this happens, you will have no choice than to leave the hall.

He who laughs last…

A comical scene was shown and everyone in the cinema hall laughs. However, for you that is when your laughter begins. You may be laughing last but you are definitely not laughing best as your laughter could bring you ridicule. It will be quite embarrassing if everyone in the hall shoot you with their piercing and angry pupil. You will have no choice than to compose.

By Jovago team

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NLC petitions Minister over Togolese govt’s rejection of ECOWAS travel certificate from Nigerians

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday petitioned the minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, demanding an immediate investigation into an allegation that the Togolese government was rejecting travel certificates issued by the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) to Nigerians travelling to the country.

Copies of the petition were also sent to minister of Foreign Affairs; executive secretary, ECOWAS Commission; Togolese ambassador to Nigeria; and comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The petition, signed by the general secretary of NLC, Peter Ozo-Eson, said the national president of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, was personally humiliated by officials of Asky Airline at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday, when he was about to board the flight to Lome, Togo.

Mr. Ozo-Eson said Mr. Wabba was denied boarding and prevented from travelling out of the country by officials of the airline after tendering his ECOWAS Travel Certificate duly issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria on behalf of ECOWAS.

The NLC scribe said officials of Asky Airline who denied Mr. Wabba boarding on the flight said they were acting on the instructions of the Togolese government.

He explained that the travel document issued on July 16, 2015, with an expiration date of July 15, 2017, was previously used by the NLC president on trips to Senegal and Ghana, both members of ECOWAS.
Urging the federal government to consider the issue as a matter of national significance and urgently intervene to save Nigerians the humiliation and embarrassment, Mr. Ozo-Eson said he did not understand why Togo would not recognize a travel document issued by ECOWAS, of which it is a member.

“It is curious that at the time of ticket purchase, Asky Airline did not deem it necessary to warn prospective passengers of ECOWAS origin that the Togolese government does not accept or recognize the ECOWAS Travel Certificate,” the NLC scribe stated.

He said the NLC believes Nigerians, wherever they are, deserve protection if they act within the law, pointing out that by denying Mr. Wabba the right to make the trip, the central labour body was denied the representation at the International Trade Union (ITU)-Africa activity held in Togo.

“The disruption of his travel plan and by extension, denial of his participation at this major activity, has caused the NLC president considerable embarrassment as well as constituted a set-back to the Nigeria Labour Congress and Nigeria,” Mr. Ozo-Eson noted.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Sandra Elleingand, the director of communications of ECOWAS, she declined comment, saying she was in a meeting.
But another senior official of the community said on the condition of anonymity that ECOWAS had since stopped issuing travel certificates.

“They should know that ECOWAS does not accept travel certificate anymore, because we do not issue it anymore. What we issue is laissez-passer (a kind of travel document).
“ECOWAS travel certificate is only issued by the embassies in a country when somebody is stranded and is coming back.

“If he said he has used the certificate to travel to Senegal and Ghana before, how long ago? If you go to immigration, being a government official, it does not take a few minutes it would be issued to you at N5, 000 and save yourself from all those embarrassment.

On the petition to the minister, the ECOWAS official said nothing is going come out of it as all government officials already know that travel certificate were no more accepted.

“I don’t know what purpose the petition would serve. He can’t get anywhere with that petition. There was a time ECOWAS was publicising that everyone should get laissez passer. Everybody, including traders, has it,” the source explained.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/198900-nlc-petitions-minister-togolese-govts-rejection-ecowas-travel-certificate-nigerians.html

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5 Easy Ways to Save Money on Meals While Traveling

Food is a necessity, and so it will always be one of the major expenses for anyone going on a trip or vacation.

Along with hotel bills, food costs while traveling can quickly add up. Fortunately, there are many ways to please your palate on a trip without breaking the bank.

What is the secret? this is the 5 easy ways to save money on meals while traveling.

Eat like the locals, Hit the Streets

Some of the best budget food in the world comes from street vendors. It is hearty and cheap, and permits you to eat to your fill without shelling out too much money. Rather than patronize recommended tourist restaurants and cafes (which are usually overpriced) in the town you are visiting, ask questions and find out where the locals eat.

Ask the hotel staff or even your taxi driver about their favorite food joints, and you are more likely to end up with an affordable meal, also, you gain a more authentic dining experience as you savor local specialties. To avoid food poisoning, be sure the meal is served hot, check out the environs of the hotel or eatery as it will give you a hint on how thorough their hygiene routine is.

Lodge in accommodations with in-room kitchens

This option may seem stressful, but it is a very viable one. Instead of eating at restaurants for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout your trip, consider booking a hotel room with a kitchenette and then visit the local market or grocery stores for ingredients to cook your own meals.

Staying in a place with a kitchen can do wonders for your budget, and your taste buds as well, as you get to have meals that suit your particular taste, seeing as you will be making them with the condiments that you prefer.

Search for discounts, deals and free vouchers

Meal deals and dining coupons are always available, you just need to find them and the internet is usually a big help.

Scour the internet. Scope out hotel deals and packages that include daily breakfast to help cut costs, or that offer credits towards meals at the hotel restaurant to offset the cost of dining out every time.

If you are in Nigeria, hellofood.com is a good start. You are bound to find discounts for meals and coupons for popular restaurants, grocery stores, and bars in the place you will be visiting.

Vouchers can also be found at your hotel, the airport, bus or train stations, or any other location that caters to tourists. Newspapers and magazines also include vouchers in ad sections for discounted meals and entertainment.

Keep alcohol intake on the low

Experiencing a unique, regional craft beer or wine might be high on your list but it is best to keep alcohol intake generally on the low. Alcohol has a way of making you stray from being budget-minded to splurging extravagantly.

The best way to keep on budget is to avoid alcoholic beverages altogether. To maximize your savings, stick to water or fruit juices. If you can, bring powdered drink mixes to compliment your meals.

Draft a detailed meal budget

Most people tend to neglect the cost of feeding while planning a budget for a trip. They focus on the price of airfares, hotels and transportation.

It is essential to research the place you are traveling to and consider available restaurant options, and estimate how much you could possibly spend per meal. By doing that, you will have a set amount to spend per meal and you will know how to regulate the frequency of the meals for the time you will be on the trip.

There will only be a slim chance of you blowing your budget on an impulsive dinner at that fancy restaurant you know is way out of your price range.

By Jovago team

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Travel Cuisine: 5 Nigerian meals you can make with $5 or less

Are you visiting in Nigeria and looking for ways to cut down expenses by sticking to a low budget meal? The key to achieving your goal would be to look for healthy foods that are versatile nutritious and can be made for $5 or less. Usually, with most of the staple items gotten from the local markets scattered around the country, you will be able to a variety of easy, inexpensive meals.

However, to make things easier, we, have a list of five dollar or less dinners, lunches or breakfast ideas that will help you feed yourself and maybe even a guest, delicious and nutritious meals that fit your budget.

Nigerian Jollof rice

‘Boring’ will never be a word to describe this popular Nigerian meal. Jollof rice is one of the most simple and the easy Nigerian foods to make . It is always a favorite option for the thrifty as it is not only delicious and nutritious , it comes together with ingredients that you already have. Also, it tastes good whether served hot or cold. To prepare this meal, you need: 1/2 Kg Chicken: costs about N300 ($1.20), 1 cup of rice: costs about N100 ($.50),  Ground fresh tomatoes: costs about N50($.25) per tin, ground fresh pepper Onions, spices, groundnut oil, salt, cubes of knorr/maggi and dried crayfish: optional. The meal takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to get cooked, depending on your cooking methods. The end product however will have you clamouring back for seconds.  You definitely want to start with this meal if you are new to Nigerian foods.

Yam porridge

Yet another simple meal, yam porridge will make a great main dish for midweek lunch. A staple food in Nigeria, it is quite popular in the western part of Nigeria and is known as Asaro or Ebe. Mainly yam cooked with few ingredients and little or no vegetable, the resulting dish contains some soupy liquid. Main Ingredient include White Puna yam: costs about N300 ($1.20)for a medium size tuber, Red palm Oil: costs about N200($1) for 50c, smoked mackerel fish : costs about N300 per whole fish($1.50), onion, ground crayfish, fresh green vegetable (eg pumpkin, parsley, scent leaf or green amaranth), habanero or chili Pepper & Salt (to taste), and of course, stock cubes. This meal is satisfying both taste- and budget-wise.

Okro soup

This meal is the perfect perfection as  it is very easy to prepare and likely the cheapest soup in Nigeria. Also known as the Lady finger’s soup, or locally referred to as Ofe okwuru (ibo), Obe ila(Yoruba) or Miyan Kubewa(hausa), this soup can be made chunky or smooth and eaten alone (if you are a weight watcher), or paired with Eba or pounded yam. To prepare  this meal, you need the following ingredients: Okra (a medium size bowl full), Fluted Pumpkin leaves (optional), Stock fish, meat (beef, chicken, turkey, etc), dry fish or smoked fish(optional), stock cubes, palm oil, salt, ground crayfish and pepper to taste. You can get quantities of each of the main ingredient from the local market for as low as N100($.50) each, except for meat which you can get ½ kilo from as low as N200 ($1). Throw this simple but satisfying meal together and your wallet will thank you.

Yam and Garden egg sauce

Get your dose of protein and fibre with yam and garden egg sauce. A great choice for a quick weeknight dinner, the meal is quick, easy and flavorful. For the sauce, you can make use of any type of garden egg available to you, including Aubergines. You will also need the following ingredients:  Garden eggs, palm oil, onion, smoked mackerels, Habanero Pepper & Salt (to taste), ogiri okpei/ iru(optional). Like the Okro soup, you can get quantities of the main ingredients from the local market for as low as N100($.50) .For the yam, you  will need a tuber of yam which you will just have to peel, cut and boil separately with salt. The entire meal takes about 45 minutes to prepare. The perfect meal for weight watchers and a budget friendly meal option, some of the benefits of this mean include effective weight loss as well as lowering blood cholesterol and eye pressure in glaucoma.

Moi Moi

This high-protein meal will have you salivating. One of the most popular dishes in Nigeria, Moi Moi is made from pureed beans. The process of making this meal is a bit complicated, but the end result is always a delight. Usually, a special kind of beans (Black eyed beans) is used for making beans pudding in Nigeria, but you can substitute with any other type of beans if you live outside Nigeria. Other ingredients include: Onions,Red bell pepper (Tatashe),Scotch bonnet pepper (ata rodo), Ground crayfish , Palm oil, stock cubes (Maggi) and Salt . Purchasing all ingredients will cost less than $4 at the local market. Moi Moi can be eaten alone or paired with other meals such as Pap (akamu, Ogi) or soaked garri; or it can also be served as a side to such meals as fried rice e.t.c

By Rita

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Nigeria: 'Nigerian Carnivals Need More Cultural Environments to Flourish'

Interview By Omolola Itayemi

With each passing year, more and more carnivals are appearing in Nigeria's tourism bouquet. But Yaya Ndu, a tourism advocate believes the country is presenting it in the wrong cultural environment. He speaks with Omolola Itayemi.

Quite a large number of Nigerians might not agree with you that we are presenting our carnivals in the wrong cultural environment? What really is the issue?

The problem with most of the cultural festivals of the people of Cross River, Lagos, Nigeria and Black Africans, which they organise and expect to attract cultural tourists in commercial numbers, is that they are held and organized in environments that are not cultural at all. The festivals are therefore half-cultural and turn out to be a mere mockery. They are like fishes out of the water and have robbed the thunders of their bolts.

We must begin to construct cultural environments to host our cultural festivals and it is only when we do this that they will achieve the sync necessary, even essential to attract the local and foreign tourists that we target in numbers that make economic sense.

In Enugu my home state, for instance, the masquerade festival which the state has made its primary tourist product is usually held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium, which I dare say makes it a miss-fit, and a cynical joke and ensures that the state is denied the full benefits that would have accrued to it if they were held within an African cultural environment. The same goes for the stupid nonsense that passes as Abuja carnival where we annually waste money that could help tourism.

So creativity is missing?

Most of the carnivals organised in Nigeria are blatant insults to our cultural and historical heritages. We are desperate to copy the Caribbean, forgetting that the Black Diaspora who were forced out of had to make do with what was available to them in the foreign and alien environments. It is a matter of the original copying the imitation - What a joke and what disservice to the motherland!

So how can we do it better?

The most important ingredient required for meaningful tourism development is perhaps the most neglected in Nigeria's pursuit or rather pretentions at tourism development. That ingredient is imagination and creativity. Imagination/creativity is essential not only for tourism development but indeed in all aspects of human endeavor. In absolutely every field of human undertaking, creativity imagination is not only useful but necessary, be it in agriculture, in music, games, war, diplomacy, science, you name it. In fact, one can argue that without imagination/creativity, we cannot be truly human.

When we talk about tourism potentials and endowments in Nigeria, we only think of natural endowments. Even the culture we refer to, we fail to realise that they are products of the creativity and imagination of our ancestors. Without imagination and creativity, we cannot harness any tourism potentials. We fail to realize that many of the nations that are making waves in tourism in the modern world are relying mostly on imaginationand creativity and less and less on any natural endowments. Dubai is a place that most travelling Nigerians go to all the time. Are we blind to seeing that the Dubai we know of today is a product of human imagination and creativity?

Destinations across the world are beginning to replace or supplement culture-led development strategies with creative development strategies. In fact, books have been written that critically analyze the impact and effectiveness of creative strategies in tourism development and chart the emergence of creative tourism.

Questions have been asked as to why creativity has become such an important aspect of development strategies and of tourism development in particular. Further questions have also been asked as to why this phenomenon happening now, apparently simultaneously, in so many destinations across the globe?

In a related development, questions are being asked as to the difference between cultural tourism and creative tourism? In Nigeria, we have been speaking for far too long about our tourism potentials and what these potentials could do for us if developed. I make bold to say that it is time to move beyond rhetoric to practicality. Why are we always talking about what we can and shall do in this country? When shall we begin the doing? What are we waiting for?

Can tourism contribute to Nigeria's GDP?

The World Trade Organization (WTO) estimates that tourism accounts for up to 10 per cent of global gross domestic product, making it the world's biggest industry. The potential for tourism to contribute significantly to poverty alleviation is considerable.

The WTO's report on Tourism and Poverty Alleviation published for the World Summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg in 2002 drew substantially on the work of the Pro-Poor Tourism Partnership and there are now a range of initiatives taking place on pro-poor tourism.

What is Pro-Poor Tourism?

It must be clarified however that Pro-Poor tourism is not a specific tourism product, rather, it is a humane approach to tourism development and management which ensures or at least strives to ensure, that local poor people are enabled to practically secure economic benefits from tourism in a fair, equitable and sustainable manner.

In this regard, Pro-Poor tourism may improve the livelihoods of poor people in many principal ways such as economic gain through employment generation as well as development of micro enterprises. It can also improve infrastructure which include roads, electricity, water, waste disposal and management, telecommunications, security, e.t.c. It can help facilitate democratic empowerment through engagement of the people in decision making.

The tourism industry needs to operate in environments which are attractive and friendly to tourists. It necessarily demands an educated work force, adequate and functioning health delivery system, good transport, telecommunications, potable water supply and stable power.

When one considers the financial gains that many nations and states in the world are deriving from the tourism, it is a surprise that other communities in search of alternative means of earnings and with comparative advantages in tourism such as Bayelsa State are not looking seriously enough in tourism directions. With 76.8 million visitors in 2004, Florida is the top travel destination in the world.

The tourism industry has an economic impact of $57 billion on Florida economy. Thailand recorded a 31% increase in tourism receipts in 2011 over 2010, according to Ministry of Tourism and Sports figures.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201602221472.html

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Promoting Tourism as Alternative to Dependence on Oil

Pat Utomi was the keynote speaker at the recently held national conference on tourism convened by the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators in Calabar. Along with other speakers, he proffered solutions to help resuscitate Nigeria’s ailing tourism industry, reports Demola Ojo

Utomi and other participants at the event

“In the quest for diversification, everybody is talking about agriculture, about mining but nobody is talking about tourism. Diversification is not an electric light switch. You don’t just turn it on and it goes to mining, or press the switch button and it goes to agriculture. Before the mining industry can contribute anything to our economy, it will take at least 15 years. So you have to look towards the low-hanging fruits.”

These are the words of renowned economist, Prof Pat Utomi. The former presidential aspirant was the keynote speaker at a national tourism conference convened recently by the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) in Calabar on the occasion of NATOP’s AGM.

Other speakers at the event attended by major stakeholders in Nigeria’s tourism industry were the DG of the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC), Mrs Dayo Keshi and the President of NATOP, Nkewerem Onung. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade also spoke through their respective representatives.

The timing of the conference couldn’t have been better; it was a welcome reminder that practitioners within the industry are trudging on in defiance of the ‘body language’ of the current government which points towards tourism being relegated, or ‘orphaned’ in the words of industry commentators. The hitherto stand-alone ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation created in 1999 is no more.

Calabar was also deliberately chosen as the venue for the conference. Cross River State is unarguably number one in the ranking of states promoting tourism as a means of alternative revenue and employment generation.

It was the appropriate time and place to trump up the import and relevance of the tourism industry to Nigeria’s economy. NATOP President Onung acknowledged as much.

“This conference has come at the right time when it appears that tourism is not a priority on the agenda of the present administration which is demonstrated by the scrapping of the Federal Ministry of Tourism,” Onung said in his opening remarks.

“It is also necessitated by the fact that despite the potential of Nigerian tourism, our policy makers have not seen it as an alternative to oil with an earning capacity of over $7 billion. According to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) records, $1.5 billion was spent on international ticketing in 2013 alone.”

Back to Utomi. The co-founder of the Lagos Business School was brutally blunt when he said, “The collapse of oil prices is a gift from heaven.” He has been an advocate of diversifying the base of the economy for years he asserted.

However, the convergence of two forces - the new change mantra pervasive in the polity and oil prices going south - presents another opportunity to chart the best way forward.

He went down memory lane to the fifties and sixties, describing how Nigeria’s federating units developed through a concept defined by some American scholars as competitive communalism.

All those gains came crashing down when “idealistic soldiers” took over the reins of power, just about the same time of the oil boom.

“We’ve systematically killed off what the country used to be,” he said, lamenting the death of the theatre culture in Nigeria. One of the surest ways back, he posited, is what he refers to as the commercialization of culture.

Prof Utomi has reached the top in several different endeavours, becoming one of Nigeria’s top managers in manufacturing before his 33rd birthday, reaching a presidential advisory position at 27; earning two Master Degrees and a PhD at 26, and professorship and global acknowledgement as a leading scholar in business, political economy and media studies in his forties. He has global leaders and policy makers as friends. He knows a thing or two about mining.

“Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Solid Minerals is a friend of mine. As we speak, he’s on his way back from the mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa.  I was supposed to be at that conference. Later this month, I will be a guest of the government of Australia.” Top of the agenda is mining.

“The type of work we need to do before we even start to discuss mining; the time, the investment, the infrastructure, is such that to be obsessed with mining, thinking that we want to switch to mining is to misunderstand the concept of diversification.

“Even agriculture that we’ve lived with all our lives, will take a while. Akin Adesina who was minister of Agriculture did a lot. A couple of years ago, we had a marathon discussion of about five hours talking agriculture and the things that need to be done. He only scratched the surface of one part, the corruption in the fertilizer business. Then he began to set targets. Agriculture might move faster than mining, but there are lower hanging fruits, the area of - I like to call it—selling culture,” the scholar said.

“I’ve tried to get conversations going in that area over the years. More than twenty years ago, I propounded the idea that selling culture could earn Nigeria more money than oil. When I was talking about it, people said I was crazy,” he revealed. “But that’s not the problem. The problem is that we don’t realise how much more we can earn from this industry.”

Utomi touched on a few aspects that could help Nigeria generate revenue from tourism going forward. He zeroed in on Nigeria’s ample coastline, ‘’…stretching from Badagry all the way here (to Calabar).”

He continued, “Do you know the number of people that come from Europe to Gambia to sit on those beaches that are not half as nice as the beaches that we have here?” 

He compared Gambia’s “bungalow airport” to the “monstrosity” called Murtala Muhammed International in Lagos. However the attitude of officials at the point of entry makes all the difference. The experience of most visitors coming through MMIA is enough to dissuade a repeat visit.

“Our immigration officers need to be helped. Airports need to be places of welcome,” he said. “A service culture needs to be built.” He emphasized the need to focus on delighting people, not making money.

Utomi enjoined tourism practitioners to creatively solve tourism problems. For example, traffic to TINAPA in Calabar could be increased by linking it to the Le Meridien Ibom resort through the river that links both points. The men can play golf, while their families take a refreshing both trip to what was conceived as a shopping and entertainment destination.

Still on ideas for TINAPA and Calabar as a whole, Utomi believes tourism will only take-off in earnest if Calabar is a regional hub that links West Africa to Central and East Africa.

“There should be 40 to 50 flights coming into Calabar daily, rather than the four or five we have presently.”

Still on the subject of ways forward, NATOP President Onung said, “We believe that Nigeria can have a visa regime that encourages tourists to Nigeria.” He continued by advocating for a “National carrier that is partially privatized and fully commercialized with a mandate for national development.”

In his remarks, Lai Mohammed revealed the position of government. “A key aspect of this administration’s policy thrust is the development of the non-oil sector of the economy which was hitherto neglected. I am therefore glad that this conference has been initiated as one of the platforms that will further the discussion on this issue.”

  According to him, in other to boost tourism and give it the needed impetus to contribute to Nigeria’s GDP, government has decided to list tourism among the six priority sectors of the economy. Other initiatives include, a review of the National Tourism Policy of 1990, provision of attractive incentives for prospective investors, and launching of the Nigerian Tourism Development Plan.

“In the days ahead, we will be bringing all stakeholders together, also here in Calabar, to chart a definite path forward,” he promised. 

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/promoting-tourism-as-alternative-to-dependence-on-oil/232477/ 

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Nigeria: Medical Director Advocates Partnership to Discourage Medical Tourism

Dr Adebayo Adekunle, the Medical Director of General Hospital, Suleja, has solicited purposeful public-private partnerships in the health sector to check rampant medical tourism tendency among Nigerians.

He said this when he spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.

Adekunle said that Nigerians often sought medical treatment abroad because they felt there were no required medical facilities in the country for the desired specialised treatment in the health system.

Insisting that cases of medical tourism were on the increase, he pleaded with the wealthy Nigerians to assist in promoting good medical services by donating generously to hospitals across the country.

Health service is not supposed to be the sole responsibility of the government. Concerned Nigerians should contribute to the health sector by sponsoring research, donating buildings or medical equipment.

General Hospital, Suleja is a 145-bed secondary health institution but it ought to be more than that by its conception and design.

It has basic health facilities such as Surgery, Ante Natal, Out Patient Department, Emergency ward and Paediatrics, among others.

"When I came on board you can say this is not a hospital because of its dilapidated and decaying structures; the environment is not well kept, in term of beds, wards and equipment.

I ensure that the hospital environment is clean and I know that people really appreciate this gesture by being part of the sanitation team that evacuates dirt in the hospital's premises to give it a befitting look," he said.

Adekunle said this innovation notwithstanding, the hospital and other health facilities across the country needed more infrastructures to convince Nigerians seeking medical treatment abroad that they could get it cheaper in the country.

He said that his hospital was adjudged the best secondary health institution in the northern part of the country.

The medical director recalled that in recognition of this, the Nigerian Alliance for Health System Strengthening, in collaboration with University of Maryland, Baltimore County, U.S., recently invited him to speak on the role of management in clinical governance.

I received a letter to talk on the topic to tell the world how we have been managing clinical matters and achieving success.

What General Hospital, Suleja needs is just the support of the public in terms of advice, contributions and funds to render world class medical service to discourage medical tourism," he said.(NAN)

http://allafrica.com/stories/201602220077.html

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Nigeria: Andorra to Host 9th World Congress On Snow and Mountain Tourism

By Laolu Adeyemi

Even as Nigeria fails to maximally explore the opportunities of the Mountain tourism that nature throws at her; other countries of the world are set to have discussions on the challenges and opportunities in snow and mountain tourism as well as evaluating new business models and the need to incorporate innovative and sustainable practices.

Salient issues and important factors on how to further develop the Mountain Tourism will be discussed by more than thirty experts from Europe, the Americans and Asia at the 9th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism.

The event, organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Government of Andorra, will take place in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra, on 2-4 March. Andorra, a leading mountain destination, represents an ideal setting to address these topics, particularly the possibilities to combine sport and adventure.

According to UNWTO Secretary -General, Taleb Rifai at the presentation of the Congress held at the Headquarters of the Organization, "Snow and mountain tourism constitutes an added value to destinations and an opportunity for the development of local communities; nevertheless, we should never forget the importance of promoting the sustainable management of the natural resources considering that this type of tourism takes place in direct contact with nature"

Rifai in statement says the current importance of snow and mountain tourism makes this Congress more relevant than ever. This joint initiative was launched two decades ago as a common working platform between UNWTO and the Principality of Andorra.

This 9th edition of the World Congress, on the theme "Mountainlikers, Sport and Adventure: A Promising Combination", will provide an opportunity for both the public and the private sectors to share experiences and examples of innovative tools that can drive the management and promotion of mountain destinations.

Andorra is in the European continent and the latitude and longitude for the country are 42.31° N and 01.32° E. The neighboring countries of Andorra are France and Spain. Andorra la Vella is the capital of Andora with a population of 85,458 (2014 Est.)

The irony is that while other countries of the world are already thinking of maximizing the potentials of Mountain Tourism, Nigeria, which is blessed with many natural and human resources, is yet to explore the goldmine.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201602210360.html

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Nigeria: NSIA, IFC Collaborate to Cut U.S.$1 Billion On Medical Tourism

 

By Martins Ifijeh

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, said they are mapping out strategies to increase investments in the nation's health sector, as part of efforts towards ending the over $ 1 billion Nigerians spend on medical tourism.

Speaking at the NSIA, IFC, joint media briefing in Lagos, Chief Risk Officer and Executive Director, NSIA, Mrs. Stella Ojekwe-Onyejeli, said they are seeking to catalyze private sector investment in the healthcare space by establishing Public-Private Partnerships and innovative solutions, which is their core mandate as they are saddled with the responsibility to invest on behalf of the government.

She said NSIA has set aside $400 million for investment in the economy and could use 35 per cent, about $140 million of it on the health sector, which though small, would serve as the start-up capital, hence the need to look for co-investors like the IFC.

On his part, the IFC Country Director, Eme Essien Lore said there was need to support the private hospital sector in Nigeria so that they can deliver affordable, accessible and quality care informed the forum.

To progress in the sector, she said the country will need innovative approaches like public private partnerships (PPPs), among others to mobilise private capital for public healthcare. According to her, longer term outlook indicates that considerable opportunity exists for the private sector to play a viable role in providing affordable healthcare across the country. Lore said,

"IFC is committed to help increase affordable quality healthcare services by financing and facilitating financing for integrated networks. This will support the development of critical healthcare infrastructure and attract private capital into the sector. "We are working with NSIA to boost investment in the healthcare sector and bridge the gap in under supply of quality healthcare in Nigeria."

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Festival of India set to hold in Lagos come August

The festival is a collaboration between International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the India Disapora in Lagos and is designed to bridge the cultural gap between India and Nigeria.

Come August 13, 2016, Lagos will play host to a rich display of Indian culture as the Festival of India holds at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos.

The festival is a collaboration between International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the India Disapora in Lagos and is designed to bridge the cultural gap between India and Nigeria.

Speaking at a briefing over the weekend to announce the festival,  CEO of Gaurapad Charities and chairman organising committee, Bolaji Rosoji explained the origin of Festival of India, and its interwoven relationship with Krishna religion.

He also said the goal of the festival is to "celebrate cultural unity and diversity for national and global peace – vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family). The Festival of India, with the Ratha Yatra (chariot) Festival as its central spectacle, has an inestimable impact on the minds and hearts of literally countless casual visitors and active participants in major cities worldwide. The Ratha Yatra (chariot) Festival originated in the holy city of Puri, India, and has been celebrated for thousands of years. It is a grand culmination of a series of celebrations spread over the summer and the monsoon month and is the most splendid of them all."

According to Rosiji,  the festival would be an international one with dignitaries coming from all over the world while efforts were in place to get President Muhammad Buhari to attend.

He also revealed that his organisation is collaborating with Lagos State, through its Ministry of Culture and Inter-Governmental Affairs, for a successful festival.

Highlights of the festival will include procession display of various Indian costumes, dressing and dance groups representing different states in India.

In addition, the Festival of India will host internationally renowned traditional and contemporary musicians, dancers and dramatic artists from India and Nigeria.

Attendees can also expect things like sumptuous, vegetarian feast, transcendental art and bestselling books on yoga and meditation.

http://pulse.ng/arts_culture/bolaji-rosiji-festival-of-india-set-to-hold-in-lagos-come-august-id4681181.html 

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Nigeria set to have travellers guide and tourism book

 

Current affairs, information about mineral and natural resources and their locations in different states, recreational centres, trending businesses in the country and tourist sites are just some of the things the book will contain.

 

Nigeria is set to have a travellers guide and tourism book as Nigerian Tourism Europe, is collaborating with Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and Motoring World International to launch Nigeria Travellers Guide and Tourism book.

According to The Guardian, the book is an international publication being put together to guide, educate and inform travellers and holiday makers worldwide about tourism facilities, centres and destinations in Nigeria.

Current affairs, information about mineral and natural resources and their locations in different states, recreational centres, trending businesses in the country and tourist sites are just some of the things the book will contain.

Speaking on the project,  Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Tourism Europe, Prince Okes Masisma stated that the project aims to kick-start the development and growth of Nigeria’s tourism industry and showcase the country as a destination for holiday makers all over the world.

Describing it as "the kind of book that is supposed to be seen in all the airports in the world so that people coming to Nigeria get to know the country", Masisma pointed out that other African countries have theirs and Nigeria shouldn't be left out.

He also added that “given the continuing crash in oil price in the world market, now is the time for Nigeria to diversify and increase her sources of foreign exchange earnings."

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Top packing tips to escape the hassle of airport security

In Nigeria, travelling by air is a lot easier than going by road or water. You save more time, there are less risks and basically, you get greater value for your money. However, there some procedures that can take the joy out of the air travel, as they make what should be a seamless process rather tedious. One of those procedures is the airport security check.

In truth, packing to meet airline security guidelines is not always easy. You may want to carry along a few electronics, like your laptop and personal grooming items especially if you are going on a long trip but these can cause a lot of hitches as aside from the body scanner, your carry-on luggage can actually slow you down at the checkpoint as well.

However, the good thing is that if you plan ahead, you can get through security smoothly and have an easier flight.

Pack in layers

Do not just throw everything into your box and leave for the airport.

Take out some time and actually structure the way you pack your belongings. If you have a carry on, pack in a layer of clothes, before you pack the electronics, then possibly another layer of clothes again inside a carry-on. This does not just cushion your gadgets, protecting them from severe friction, it allows the security agents to quickly see what is in the carry-on, making it easy for them to process you faster.

Do not pack too many cords

A luggage full of tangled cords is not a pretty sight for anyone to behold, especially not the airport security as it looks risky and potentially dangerous, even if it is not.

Rather than set yourself up for a thorough and time-consuming bag check due to excess cords, ensure you pack only the cables you absolutely need, wrap the cords around their devices, and pack your chargers together in one bag, preferably a see-through bag. You can use rubber bands on them to keep them tangle-free. It is also a good idea to use retractable cables when possible to make them easier to store.

Ensure large devices are easily accessible

If you are travelling with a laptop and Ipad or any other bulky electronic device, place them at the top of your carry-on or put them in your hand bag so they are easy to reach in and pull out.

You really do not want start digging around in your bag to find your laptop, or even a gaming console when you are already security. Ensure you do not keep them in checked bags. As they certainly have to come out of your bags at screening checkpoints. Doing this will save you a lot of time and cut out undue stress.

Pack all liquid in checked bags

Generally the airport security limits the amount of liquids that travelers may carry through a security checkpoint. Make sure you pack only the liquid cosmetics you need for the trip and if you know it will be provided by the hotel, try not to pack extra from your cabinet.

You may call in advance to double check. Most hotels will have essentials like liquid soap; stain remover, body creams, and some feminine hygiene products on hand for guests. Ensure that large quantities of liquids, gels, and aerosols are packed in checked baggage rather than carry-ons.

Wait to wrap gifts

The airport security is very strict on wrapped packages, and they are allowed through security, unless the security officers can see inside the bag or package.

Most times, passengers are forced to rip open the package, especially if it electronics, sometimes, destroying the package in the process. Rather than set yourself up for the delay that come with wrapping and revealing the package, as well the disappointment of a ruined wrap job, it may be easier to just wait until you get to your destination.

By Jovago team

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Top 10 things Nigerians say on a visit abroad

At a point in the life of every human, there comes the urge to want to go around the world.

Some may want to embark on this adventure as a form of displaying a touch of class, others would yearn for it just to get out of their comfort zone and see what the other side looks like.

In the light of this, some would love to travel to other countries for holidays to build confidence among foreigners despite language barriers, develop cultural sensitivity, adapt to globalization, and create every opportunity to network for business and or professional purposes. When people travel to foreign countries perhaps for a tour, they encounter various experiences both from the expected and the unexpected. This piece recalls ten of the many statements Nigerians make on their visits abroad.

1.   1.    These people are racists

Many a time, you hear people tell stories about their travels and travails abroad and how they had been humiliated. At the point of entry before the immigration for instance, you are already suspected that you would run away once you are allowed into the country of your destination. You must have to prove yourself worthy if not, back you go to your country. 

The questionings and treatments you are given would make you conclude that these people are racists. A colleague once told me a story of how he was treated spitefully at a restaurant on his first trip to China. But then, who do you blame? Many people have been to other countries from Nigeria and failed to return. The media too have contributed in exaggerating issues of public importance which become highly detrimental to Nigeria and Nigerians. Thus, when people like you go into a foreign country with good intentions, you are still seen as those for whose sake the country has been painted black. Even in your own fellow African country, Morocco, as far as you are a black man getting into the country, you are a suspect. If peradventure you begin to live in any of these foreign countries as a legal resident, you’d still find love among their people.

2.      2. Is this the obodoyibo (abroad)?

I remember the very first time I went to London on a professional training, the first rhetorical question I had asked my colleagues upon exiting Heathrow International Airport was: “is this the almighty London we’ve heard about?”—To me, I was not impressed with what I had seen against the many hypes. I did not feel that aura of obodoyibo. This I guess may have been experienced by many. 

3. Nigeria has a long way to go! 

Having stayed in places like the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and some other countries, you may now begin to see the very reasons why they call these countries ‘developed nations’ and your own country as developing or underdeveloped, as the case may be. From the very first mental development, a friend narrated an encounter with a danfo bus driver in Lagos. She was about to cross a road using the zebra crossing around Excellence Hotel at Aguda in Ogba when a bus approached speedily. She asked: “didn’t you see the zebra crossing?” then the driver replied asking her if she was a zebra. But in other countries, once you stand on the zebra crossing lines, every driver assumes you want to cross the road. They slow down and stop. 

This is because lives are insured. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Nigerians in America Nigerians in America Many people don’t take cognizance of the laws of traffic in Nigeria. How many people have health insurance? Why won’t drivers hit people and go scot-free? When you see other things like the infrastructural development and human and national security approaches, you wouldn’t help but say Nigeria has a long way to go.

3.      4. I miss Nigerian food here

When a Nigerian finds his local delicacies abroad, he is happy. This is one of the most concurrent statements Nigerians across the globe would always say. But business people have tried to make these food stuffs available for those residing abroad. These food stuffs are basically not for a tourist who is in a hotel because he has no means of cooking them.

4.      5. You people work too much here!

Why not? How will they pay their bills? Because of bills, people abroad have been saturated in their various jobs and are ready to forfeit anything just to go to work. I attended a wake keep recently in Annapolis, before the programme could start, some people had already started leaving, why? They were off to night shift. The hall became empty. A husband and his wife may hardly see themselves on daily basis, all for their jobs.

6. OMG! Things are expensive here! 

 Upon a visit abroad, the first point of expenses is taxi or train fare. A taxi from Heathrow Airport to Dagenham Heathway will cost you nothing less than £70 or you use the train which will require buying the Oyster travel card and loading it with not less than £25 depending on the zones you travel through in one week. A taxi from John F. Kennedy International Airport to 5th Avenue in New York will cost you about $55. It is from this point an average Nigerian will say that things are very expensive even before he visits the mall.

7. How much is exchange rate? 

The statement of ‘things are very expensive’ increases when they begin shopping as the price of everything being bought will first be converted to Naira to have an idea of what it costs.

8. The tax abroad is too much! 

In everything you buy, you are paying for tax as well! This is not what he experiences back home at retail markets, Oshodi, Alaba, or even computer village, except maybe at Shoprite and other places at Ikeja Mall.

9. Too many rules

 As a first time or even regular visitor abroad, you can attest that there are many rules that not even all residents have been able to keep up with. If care is not taken, even as you may have been allowed entry, you may overstep your bounds and the result may not be liked. Nigeria has laws and there are everyday rules. Those who are meant to maintain these rules are the chief violators, thus how would the followers keep them up? Because of the ignorant attitude towards these Nigerian laws, when we find ourselves abroad, we say the rules are too much.

10. I still prefer Nigeria 

Despite the luxurious life abroad, many Nigerians resident in foreign land would always say they still prefer Nigeria. A man who visits for tourism purpose would also be of that opinion. There are things you can do and get away with in Nigeria. Such a person is someone who has all it takes to live in Nigeria. He does not remember whether PHCN exists, he can afford his children school fees abroad, he can travel abroad anytime. So, Nigerians abroad still love Nigeria. Naij.com Home Page
 

source: https://www.naij.com/734422-top-10-things-nigerians-say-on-a-visit-abroad.html

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