Globacom has promised a spectacular 2022 edition of the Ofala Festival of Onitsha, Anambra State. The company, which has been a major sponsor of the annual event since 2011, gave the assurance at a press conference held by the Ofala Steering Committee at Ime Obi, Obi’s Palace, Onitsha, on Thursday.
While signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Steering Committee to extend its sponsorship of the festival from 2022 to 2025, Globacom noted that its support for Ofala was because it recognised the huge potentials of Nigeria’s tourism sector and the positive impact it could have on the economy.
“Being a truly Nigerian enterprise, Globacom will continue to play a leading role in promoting this sector through support for, and preservation of our rich cultural heritage such as Ofala and other festivals that we sponsor,” Globacom said.
The company referred to a recent World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact Report, which indicated that, “the Travel and Tourism sector in Nigeria is expected to create 2.6 million new jobs over the next decade, doubling the number of those employed within the sector by 2032.”
“The forecast shows that an average of 260,000 new jobs will be created every year for the next 10 years, to reach more than 5.1 million. It also stated further that Nigeria’s Travel and Tourism contribution to GDP is expected to grow at an average rate of 5.4 per cent between 2022 and 2032, significantly outpacing the three per cent growth rate of the overall economy”, Globacom observed.