Tourism entrepreneur and an alumnus of Babcock University (BU), Ilisan, Ogun State, Mr Chibuzor Onyema has advocated an Eastern Nigeria Tourism Enterprise Resource (ENTER) as a blueprint for South East and South South governments for the development of the zones.
Onyema, who is President/CEO of Elastic Tours Ltd, stated that this would serve as a strategic compliment or alternative to oil as a mono economic source for the zones’ development.
Addressing a virtual press conference in Lagos with the media, Onyema who is one of Nigeria’s brightest brains in domestic and international tourism operations, describes the domestic tourism enterprise resource as capable of creating initial minimum 1,000 jobs across South-South and South-East states, and indeed other Northern and South-Western States if well implemented.
“Since international tourism is no longer viable”, he noted, the Eastern Nigeria Tourism Enterprise Resource projects was an innovative way by which the Niger-Delta could translate the outcome of the Coronvirus pandemic into good fortunes.
“It highlights already existing natural endowments awaiting full scale domestic and international tourism utilization – areas it describes as highly sought-after by international tourism development experts seeking to provide required financing for full construction and implementation of the low hanging fruit tourism projects”.
“My eleven years of continuous engagement as an internationally certified tourism operator in the United States of America, Southern Africa and locally with Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) gave me a bird’s eye view that underscored this research.”, he stated.
Reacting to the development, Igwe, Dr. Patrick Acholonu, the Igwe of Orlu ancient Kingdom of Imo State, endorsed the project and congratulated the founder of the Eastern Nigeria Tourism Enterprise Resource (ENTER), Mr. Onyema for his foresight.
Igwe Acholonu called on Niger-Delta governors and those of the Northern and South-Western states to engage Mr. Onyema in exploring effective ways to fully benefit from this free and cost effective project in their various States, in the overall interest of their citizens.