Tourism will grow fat
on in-flight meals
By MAURICE ARCHIBONG
Thursday,
November 15, 2007
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Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, DG NTDC.
PHOTOS: MAURICE ARCHIBONG
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The Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development
Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has said that
the local tourism industry could grow fat, if fed with in-flight
meals.
Otunba Runsewe, who spoke exclusively with "Travels"
last Saturday in the departure hall of the Murtala Mohammed
International Airport on his way to London for this year’s
World Travel Market (WTM), observed that the non-inclusion
of indigenous cuisine among in-flight servings is one of countless
ways of developing his sector of the national economy, which
remain untapped.
To grow tourism, and enable the sector yield potentially hefty
dividends to Nigerians, all hands must be on deck, the NTDC
Director General said. Runsewe, stressed that virtually every
aspect of national life require thorough perusal to see how
certain traditions could be harnessed to develop the tourism
sector, and by extrapolation, the quality of life of our people.
There is no doubt that tourism is a vital arm of the national
economy. Where tourism thrives, the benefits percolate even
to the minutest votary of society. The multiplier effect of
tourism growth is almost infinite as such impact rubs off
on virtually every facet of the community; the locals, their
economy and popularity all stand to gain. This is the reason
Otunba Runsewe’s observations need looking into.
And as we discussed prior to boarding announcement, we wondered
if the NTDC director general had had dinner. From a previous
encounter, we came to know that bean porridge and fried plantain
(Ewa ati dodo) is Otunba’s favourite meal. But he certainly
wasn’t going to enjoy that aboard British Airways flight.
If traditional English breakfast was on the card, Otunba was
also probably not going to enjoy breakfast some six hours
later, before his flight came in for landing in London.
One can understand having to do in Rome as the Romans do,
but how about local airlines that assault passengers with
"salad" without any option of something indigenous?
In the 1980s, every time there was an opportunity to travel
abroad, my mind went to Lufthansa or British Caledonian.
The former for sentimental reasons, love of German language,
people and efficiency, which many Nigerians simply call "German
Machine," and B-Cal because of the crews’ Tartan
costume. For my love of Scottish textile, I came to love eggs
and bacon, fish and chips and even lasagna, or whatever else
was pushed down one’s throat. In the same vein, my love
of Germany pushed "Kartofelln und wuersten" oder
"obst und gemusen" (potatoes and sausages or fruits
and vegetables into the list of my favourite meals, which
include "amala ati abula," "apu na ofe onugbu,"
"tuwo cinkafa da miyan kukah," "usung ye ukwoho"
and many more.
And why have we gone to all these? Democracy and free economy
go hand in hand with options, people must have a choice. But
more than this, a people’s wealth revolve around culture.
Ghana Airways crew adorn Kente, so some passengers may even
prefer "moi-moi" and "ogi" or "ogi
and akara," alias "koko da kose," or kunu,
zobo et cetera to the snacks offered by Nigerian airlines
on domestic flights.
Since the average tourist is also a connoisseur of some sorts,
it is even possible that countless foreigners, visiting Nigeria
may prefer to explore our cuisine but the airline won’t
give them that chance.
However, Otunba Runsewe’s interest in this matter transcends
taste.
The NTDC helmsman sees tourism as an all-embracing money-spinner.
If Nigeria can market its culture and also enrich local cooks,
why have the airlines refused to tap this opportunity?
As he put it: "Can you imagine the multiplier effect
of local airlines serving indigenous meals? The impact would
be far-reaching, more Nigerians would get jobs, and possibly,
more foreigners would prefer Nigerian airlines, just to have
a taste of our gastronomy."
Otunba Runsewe’s views sound plausible to us. During
my stay with the Homanns, Frauke and Wieben, in the German
capital, Berlin, in 2000, I had decided to give myself a taste
of home and had gone shopping for Nigerian/West African foodstuff.
I had subsequently bought beans, plantain, crayfish, onions,
palm oil and so on, with which I intended to prepare "Iwuk
ukom ye okoti" Efik version of bean porridge mixed with
chopping of plantain. My German hosts had returned home as
I was rounding up my cooking. Frauke had come into the kitchen
and asked: "Darf ich est probien?" Could I have
a taste? "Naturlich," I had responded.
The elegant lady had taken a little sample, blew it to cool
and put to her tongue. Reflexively, Frauke had exclaimed,
"Lekka!" The immediate translation of that word,
which came to me as I wrote, was "Splendid!" But
Lekka connotes more than this. And that was how we all ended
up eating an Efik meal for dinner that evening in Berlin.
I knew the couple enjoyed the meal but I certainly did not
realize how much they cherished this food until a few days
later, when Wieben asked to know the recipe, and the cost
of the ingredients to serve four. We went to an African shop
bought the foodstuff and brought home. Again, we all ate "Iwuk
okoti ye ukom" in Berlin. But that was not all because,
on Christmas Eve, my hosts and I made more "Iwuk okoti
ye ukom" to serve about seven people.
This was part of the tri-continental cuisine that our Berlin-Hasenheide
household took to Lachendorf, where the local hosts, Suzanne
and Manfred Heller and their lovely children as well as other
friends and neighbours also put German dishes on the table.
It was one of the best Christmases I ever had! This experience
is part of my forthcoming book, Snippets of Germany.
Whatever you think of in-flight servings, your experiences
or the local travel industry generally, Travels would be happy
to hear from you. Please send reactions to the e-mail above
or to marchibong@hotmail.com
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