Last weekend, tourism industry professionals rose from the ashes of depression to high praises and celebration over the appointment of Segun Runsewe and Folarin Coker as the Directors-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture and the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), respectfully.
The time-tested administrators and frontline tourism apostles were appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to rev up the fortunes of the culture and tourism sectors, drive culture and tourism jobs and restore the battered image of Nigeria in the comity of tourism nations.
Indeed, Buhari Tourism is here and, if the President’s famous one-track mind in tackling socio-economic drawbacks is anything to go by, then the appointment of Runsewe and Coker, a deadly tourism strike force any day, will bring Nigeria’s tourism economy back into national and international reckoning.
From Kano to Calabar, Borno to Rivers, Buhari’s latest appointment has been described as a masterstroke, very timely and efficiently delivered to an industry largely seen as an orphan since the coming of the All Progressives Congress government two years ago. The jubilation has drowned months of speculations on what direction this government is headed tourism-wise.
Though Culture and Tourism Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, tried to put up some stopgaps to give a breather to Buhari’s tourism dreams, this reporter and other stakeholders never thought a day such as the reality of last week’s appointments would ever come.
The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), which took upon itself the systematic and deliberate occupation of the Nigerian tourism space in the last two years, said Buhari, by the appointment of Runsewe and Coker, has restored confidence in the tourism sector.
Bankole Bernard, NANTA president, told me that these appointments have vindicated the selection and choice of Runsewe and Coker as NANTA’s tourism legacy awardees last year; and he wants the President to sweep out the cupboards of the National Gallery of Arts, National Museum and the Centre for Black Art and African Civilisation  to have a completely new team for tourism and cultural revival in Nigeria.
Travel journalists, Andrew Okungbowa, Okorie Uguru, Wale Olapade, Frankline Ihejerika and Omololu John Olumuyiwa said the tourism dance has just began for Nigeria and commended President Buhari for the appointments.
Sadly, the Bureau on National “tourism” statistics is yet to release the high and positive ranking and response of tourism trade  to Buhari’s appointments. However, my findings show that operators who were thinking of giving up have reversed their decisions while those in business now look forward to better days ahead.
Contacts at the National Council for Arts and Culture and the NTDC attested to the deep appreciation pervading the organisations over the new development, as Runsewe and Coker, are renowned highflyers in tourism. While Runsewe took NTDC to unprecedented heights between 2006 and 2013 as Director-General, Coker, within one year as Governor Akinwunmi  Ambode’s commissioner for tourism, changed the ugly tourism narrative of Lagos State, once regarded as “Eko for show.”

Matters arising: Lai Mohammed must be loyal
The Minister of Information and Culture is unusually silent on the recent appointees for two agencies under his ministry. Though one is not saying the vocal and “face of government” minister is not happy with Runsewe and Coker, it would have looked good for Mohammed to praise the foresight of the President for bringing life back to NCAC and NTDC.

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The man, Folarin Coker
Is Coker ‘Kolo mental’? The traducers of this fine gentleman have gone to town in secret places and exclusive midnight hideouts to paint Coker black on his supposed “hot temper” and one asks, is any man born of any woman free from loads of the flesh?
We all stumble on various fronts, as the Bible says. Some people stumble and show weakness with women, money, alcohol and words, so it is all vanity in the imperfect man; who is throwing the stones? The gentleman proved his mettle in Lagos and, so far, Lagos is still struggling to find a replacement since he left. Knowledge is revelational and relational and may God give us wisdom.
Hurricane Coker is here and Nigerian tourism will be best for it. Come to think of it, do you know that Coker was deputy chief of staff when Mohammed served ex-governor Bola Tinubu as chief of staff? So Mohammed should speak up and rejoice that his former deputy is now DG under his ministry. I rest my case.

Runsewe – the second missionary journey
Otunba Segun Runsewe’s first outing in NTDC was revolutionary and apostolic. He worked round the clock, including Saturday’s when his fellow DG’s were at parties, just to stamp the tourism image on Nigeria. Runsewe is an unrelenting tourism apostle and he has made plenty of friends and enemies.
In 2013, the hawks in PDP struck, not because he did not deliver but because he was “an OBJ man.” It was painful for the nation and some of us who laboured in the background. Today, he is back on a familiar terrain, thanks to President Buhari. Again, it is my prayer that Mattew Olusegun Runsewe on this second missionary journey would surpass the achievements of his first outing at NTDC.