Calabar Carnival, National Park Service set to collaborate 

Oru Leonard

The Calabar Carnival and National Park service is planning to collaborate, to attract investment and generate revenue for the service.

This was revealed during a visit by the Chairman Calabar Carnival, Sir. Gabe Onah to the Conservator- General, National Park Service (NPk), Ibrahim Musa Goni on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr. Gabe Onah said there is need to pluck the low hanging fruits within the two organisations in other to boost the tourism sector in Nigeria.

He noted that there is no country that is better than Nigeria in tourism if the appropriate bodies take “the Bull by the horn through harnessing the country’s tourism sites”.

“Nigeria is heartily endowed with natural tourist sites but it is challenging to know that the country hasn’t harnessed the sites to a brim, forgetting that this would serve as a means to generate revenue and contribute a reasonable percentage in injecting of funds to the economy.

“However, this is one amidst other reasons why I think this collaboration is very necessary at this point in time”, he added.

Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant on Events to the Cross River State Governor, Hon Kenn Aklah,who was part of the team said there is need for the National Park Service to do more by  improving crafting facilities.

“It is high time the National Park Service looked inward and map out logical strategies that would attract revenue generation. This would in no small measure boost the tourism sector in Nigeria”.

Also, the International Consultant of the Calabar Carnival, Ambassador Ikeh Ukoh  said that the National Park Service should step up by doing all it can to rebrand the Parks to bring the service to a greater lime light.

“It is better we tell our story by ourselves rather than foreigners telling the story for us. We need to work on giving the Nigerian tourism sector a new face lift so that the story can be better told and that’s one other reason why we are here to solicit for collaboration”.

Responding, the Conservator-General, National Park Service, Dr Ibrahim Goni expressed delight in all that was said and pledged to support every objective move that will bring NPk to lime light and generate the expected returns on investment.

“It’s a great deal to have Nigerians as your team who have passion for their country’s tourism sector.

“I have listened to you all and be rest assured that this discussion would be critically looked into, perhaps the tourism sector would indeed take a new dimension with this anticipated collaboration if really found worthy”, he expressed.

He said that the private sector will be encouraged to partner with NPk so as to improve efficiency and effectiveness.