Emeka Anokwuru
As part of plans to make West Africa a more integrated bloc, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have adopted the name ‘Eco’ for a planned single currency to be used in the region from 2020. But ahead of its implementation, one man, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, Nigeria’s director-general, National Council for Arts and Culture, has kicked off a campaign to boost regional cooperation and collaboration by launching the Nigeria-Ghana Friendship Club in Accra. Runsewe, who was speaking at the fifth Accra Weizo tourism and travel event in Ghana, said both countries have a lot of common history, which needed to be highlighted for future generations. He said the friendship club was intended to strengthen the bilateral and cultural relationship between both counties and bring its citizens closer adding that it is high time the African continent came together and put their differences aside particularly Nigeria and Ghana to further strengthen the relationship between both countries. Runsewe noted that the newly launched friendship club would be the first in Africa that will leave a legacy for unborn Ghanaians and unborn Nigerians to borrow a leaf from and work in harmony.
“Nigeria and Ghana have been together for a long time. We are brothers and sisters meant to keep the long relationship between both countries going. The time has come for this continent particularly Nigeria and Ghana to come together and sort out their differences.
“With the launch of this club we are going to have a new thinking between Ghana and Nigeria. We will have stronger ties better than what we used to have. This day marks a new beginning for both countries, the unborn Ghanaians and unborn Nigerians will come to meet this friendship with peace and nothing can separate Nigeria and Ghana” he said.
“It is in the light of the foregone and in line with the shared vision and aspiration of the two countries in providing responsible leadership for West African nations that Nigeria-Ghana Friendship Club has become highly desirable. This club will bring together Nigerian-Ghanaian citizens of like minds to fraternize and chart a course for the consolidation of the already existing cordial relationship between the two countries. Reacting to this novel initiative, Dr. Ziblim Barri Iddi, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, who stood in for the Minister at the event, said the Nigeria, Ghana friendship predates time and needed to be strengthened for regional benefit. “This is a great day for Ghana and Nigeria. This friendship predates all of us and it will supersede and continue to grow from strength to strength.” He said he was indeed very pleased with the launch of the club and commended Otunba Runsewe for his commitment to promoting regional cohesion through love, peace and friendship. Speaking earlier during the Balafon awards ceremony, where the organisers honoured him with the Tourism Man of the Year, Runsewe stressed the need for cultural rebranding of the continent adding, “this is not the time for seminars and story- telling but a time of collective action through sincerity of purpose to repackage our content through right narrative and promotion to make a sustainable change to our tourism and culture industry. After receiving the award, Runsewe dedicated the award to the country. He said: “I believe in Nigeria and our people. We have what the world would want to see and it’s my business to do so. “It’s a burden but not heavy because Nigeria needs to be known for the best we can offer mankind. I will also stand for black Africa because we are the bastion of civilisation and culture. I dedicate this award to Nigerian people and its culture” The award categories included Travel Personality of the Year in West Africa, Tourism Man of the Year in West Africa, Aviation Man of the Year in West Africa, Hotel Personality of the Year in West Africa, Aviation Minister of the Year West Africa, Tourism Minister of the Year in West Africa, Best Airline in West Africa, Best Hotel in West Africa and Best Airport in West Africa (for government agencies).
Others are Best Ground Handling Company in West Africa, Best Tourism Marketing Award West Africa, Top three tourism Events of the Year West Africa and Top ten Conference Centres in West Africa.
One of the awardees, Mr. Basil Agboarumi, managing director, CEO of Skyway Aviation Handling Company, Plc spoke of efforts by his company to enlarge its operations in the subregion, through mutual collaborations. He described aviation handling business as universally regulated, noting that safety in the air begins with safe ground handling operations. “SAHCO currently handles 19 airports in Nigeria. Our profile is growing and we are working hard to cover all the airports in Nigeria and also reach out to airports in West Africa. Africa World Airlines is one of our clients.”
As part of efforts to deepen regional integration and communication, Accra Weizo has for five years been promoting seamless travel and tourism through the specialised platform but this year the organisers upped their ante through an MOU signed with the Ghana Tourism Authority during the World Travel Market last November, to organise a one week programme which included tours to Cape Coast Western Region and far-flung parts of Ghana.
During one of the tours, Ghana’s Western Regional Minister, Dr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah hosted the group made up of delegates from different parts of the continent. At the brief reception, Dr. Kwabena declared that the region was open and ready to receive investors from all over the world that were looking for viable and profitable economies to invest in.
He said the region contributes 60 percent to the country’s national development and has a lot of resources waiting to be tapped by investors. Speaking at the regional office in Ghana, while hosting the delegates led by Mr Ikechi Uko, organiser of the event, Dr. Kwabena stated that the western region controls more than 30 percent of tourism receipts for the country. He added that although the region is blessed with abundant tourism sites, it is yet to fully explore its potentialities, “but we believe that it is a sleeping giant and we need to awaken it. There is a western carnival fancy festival or masquerade festival. It holds between December 24 to 26.”
“Western region is also open for business, we do a lot of oil and gas, agriculture, there is steel, iron, and cocoa. The western region supplies 60 percent of the nation’s cocoa production so, even if you want to come here and manufacture your own small chocolate and export to any part of the world, we have a harbour that you can use for import and export ,” he said.