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With Okorie Uguru
De Tourism World International and stakeholders in the tourism industry have called on the Nigerian government at all tiers to invest in sustainable commercial, agro-tourism for socio-economic development, leveraging on resources and capacity of the people. The call was made during the annual conference of the organisation.
This year’s conference was held to mark the World Tourism (WTD) 2026, in partnership with other stakeholders and government.
Held in Umuahia, Abia State capital, it was the eighth edition of the Socio-Economic Development and Commercial/Agro-Tourism Conference and Awards 2026, with the theme; Creating Pathways to Sustainable Development: Using Education, Commercial and Agro-Tourism as Tools for Socio-Economic Development.
It attracted participation from a number of stakeholders, partners and government officials and agencies, including the Nigerian Tourism development Authority (NTDA), Brighter Women Empowerment Initiative, Ministries of Trade and Commerce; Arts, Culture and Creative Economy; and Abia State Tourism Board.
Setting the tone for the conference and the different presentations that were unveiled during the one-day gathering, the Founder and Executive Director of De World Tourism International, and Convener of the conference, Solomon Uwakwe, gave an overview of the theme and the objectives of the conference.
Going down memory lane, Uwakwe, a council member and Fellow of the Association of Tourism and Hospitality Consultants in Nigeria (ATHCON), gave a brief history of De World Tourism International, which he said is committed to advocacy and development of tourism through destination development and management, infrastructure, business support trainings, socio-economic and empowerment of the people through its various activities.
According to him, the conference, which was previously held in Lagos and Abuja and later relocated to Abia State in 2023, is focused on commercial, agro-tourism and socio-economic development.
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He disclosed that it has grown and enjoyed the support of the government, corporate bodies and stakeholders in the state.
Uwakwe enjoined participants at the conference to be expectant, as he disclosed that the various activities outlined for the conference would be of benefit and enriching to them especially the single mothers and women traders who are part of the focus of the conference.
The Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Dr Ola Awakan, who was represented at the event by Mrs Ihuoma Eva Nwachukwu, South East Director, NTDA, stressed the importance of the conference theme.
He noted that it was both timely and strategic. He harped on the urgent need to reposition the nation’s productive sectors as interconnected engines of economic growth, employment creation, innovation and community transformation.
‘‘Tourism, in particular, is no longer simply about leisure, sightseeing and hospitality. Tourism is an economic ecosystem. It connects agriculture, culture, transportation, education, creative industries, technology, accommodation, entertainment, manufacturing and small and medium-scale enterprises,’’ he said.
‘‘With the right infrastructure, standards, financing, marketing and community participation, agro-tourism can transform agricultural destinations into viable economic corridors while creating additional income streams for farmers and local businesses,’’ he added.
He further tasked the gathering: ‘‘Let us build a Nigeria where a student can learn from a working farm, a farmer can earn additional income from tourism, a community can preserve its heritage while benefiting economically from visitors, and a young entrepreneur can build a sustainable business around our natural and cultural assets.
A number of speakers made different presentations and advocacy on the theme of the conference alongside training sessions. The list includes:. Lady Onyinyechi Ada Ojukwu, Abia State Coordinator of the Institute for Tourism Professionals in Nigeria (ITPN).
She commended the convener of the conference for sustaining the conference and the impact that it has made over the years. ‘‘This is no small feat, it shows vision, commitment and passion for development,’’ she said.
On the theme of the conference, she noted that it spoke to the present and future of the country: Engineer Nwachukwu Chibuzo Mentor, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Supportive Associates International Training School Limited, conducted a training session Agro/Agriculture and Farming Businesses as alternative sources of income in Nigeria.
