Fresh facts have revealed that Nigeria loses over seven hundred billion naira (N700 billion) to tourism annually due to poor management of tourist destinations, heritage sites and monuments across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Nigeria has over 1,000 tourist destinations including 33 museums, 65 national monuments out of which two were declared World Heritage Sites, namely, Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa State and Osun Oshogbo Groove in Osun State.
The Abuja Carnival and Argungun Fishing Festival should attract no fewer than 300 international tourists and over 50, 000 domestic tourists. When the tourists board flights, book hotels, eat and pay for other leisure associated with the festi-val, Nigeria stands to rake in over N200 billion as profit.
Again, Nigeria loses over N600 billion in Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi; Obudu Cattle Ranch, Cross River; Sukur World Heritage Site, Adamawa; Tinapa Resort Centre, Cross River; Chad Basin National Park, Borno; Abuja National Park; Kamu-ku National Park, Kaduna; Okomu National Park, Edo; Gashaka Gumti National Park, Taraba; Cross River National Park; Kainji National Park, Niger, and Old Oyo National Park among others.
This monumental loss is not unconnected with infrastructure decay, absence of facilities, non-existence of national carrier, poor management and insurgency, with the latter virtually crippling other sectors of the economy in the last four years and beyond.
