The Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), has called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to implement FCT Tourism Master Plan.  

Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria is the umbrella body of all the private sector tourism and tourism related businesses in Nigeria .

Making the call in Abuja, the President of the association, Alhaji Rabo Saleh, noted that the full implementation of the master plan would definitely make the FCT one of the states to reckon with in the tourism industry while stressing that in order to actualize a speedy economic recovery plan, the private sector must be fully involved.  

Saleh, however, revealed that 80 percent of all tourism and tourism related businesses that provide  over 30,000 jobs in the FCT are private sector driven, while noting that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has left the world economy in a devastating state, hence the need for diversification of the economy.  

He, therefore, called on the Administration for public, private sector collaboration to develop domestic tourism sites like the Jabi Lake, Parks, and Katampe Hills, aimed at promoting tourism in the territory.  

In her response, FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, acknowledged the potential of the tourism sector in the area of job creation and lifting millions out of poverty in line with the presidential deliverables.  

The minister who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Administration and Strategy, Prof. Muhammad Usman, however, informed members of the association that the Abuja master plan was not cast on stone, stressing the need to review the FCT tourism master plan,  

Aliyu also noted that the nation’s projected population by 2050 would be about 450 Million people, adding that with a projected huge population, it is important that all sectors are active in order to avoid crisis.  

According to her; “we are giving you the assurance that the administration believes in what you do, not only because we are beneficiaries on the services you offer, but because we believe that you have the potential to employ even more than 30,000 jobs.  

“It is important to the administration that jobs are created. We have a population that is very huge. By 2050, it is projected that our population will be about 450 million people. With a very youthful population, if we don’t create the job opportunities or things that will keep them busy, then we will have a lot of crisis on our hand. So, it is important that all sectors are active.  

“The tourism sector is one sector that the administration is absolutely interested in investing. May I say that even if the administration wasn’t interested, the mandate of Mr. President as re-emphasized in the course of the Ministerial Retreat last week will compel us to do something in that direction.  

“The FCT Administration has 13 deliverables. Out of these, number 12 and 13 are key and crucial. Deliverable number 12 is to engage with the private sector to create job opportunities, while number 13 is to take measures to contribute to the achievements of the presidential commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. This requires all sectors of the economy to be active and all hands to be on deck”.  

On the development of Jabi Lake, the minister said that in the ministerial performance reports presented to the Federal Executive Council on February 5, 2020. the administration has secured the nod and go ahead for the design to commence activities on Jabi Lake to enhance the tourism and recreational potential of the Lake.  

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has demolished a mega store sitting on a one-storey building in Dawaki, Bwari Area Council of the nation’s capital city for allegedly failing structural integrity test.

Our correspondent gathered that FCTA officials who were accompanied by a combined team of security operatives on Monday stormed the area with their bulldozer and pulled down the structure attached to the site of a collapsed uncompleted building.

It was observed that the owner of the store was allowed to evacuate the wares before the building was reduced to rumbles within minutes, without any casualties incurred in the process.

In an interview with newsmen immediately after the demolition exercise, the Director, Development Control Department of the FCTA, Murkta Galadima, said that the exercise carried out site sitting on plot 59 Dawaki Relocation Scheme, was a follow up on the unfortunate building collapse incident, where life was lost in the process.

According to him; “We (Development Control) received a distress calls from residents of the area that this developer had gone back to site, and it’s even selling items within the building, which if we don’t do anything very promptly, another disaster will occur.

“And that will be really unfortunate on our part, that’s why we have to be very proactive, and avert any of such unfortunate incident that my occur”, he said.

Fielding questions from journalists on if the developer and operators of the store were duly notified before the demolition exercise, the Galadima said, “Yes they were fully notified of the exercise, because before the enforcement of today, we followed due process by conducting integrity test on the building, and the result of the test indicated that the structure failed the test .

“As a result of that, in order to forestall any future reoccurrence , we had to move in and remove the standing structure.

Our correspondent gathered from sympathizers that, the owner of the building built the house with materials he bought from ‘Pantaker’ (those that sells used goods) that it’s obvious that the building is not properly built.

However, as the bulldozer of the Development Control was waiting patiently for them to evacuate their wares, many so called helpers seen stealing their goods.

Similarly, scavengers were at the site removing iron rods, roof among others.