(i)
The inability of past Administrations to fully identify and
promote our rich cultural heritage. This, for example,
witnessed the rating of culture as second in the former Ministry
of Information, while tourism was in the former Ministry of
Trade and Tourism.
(ii) Long period of
military rule prevented the country from entering into mutual
cooperation with other countries. This type of relationship is
very necessary for effective promotion of Culture and Tourism.
(iii) Poor participation of
private players.
1.2
The Birth of Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism
2.
The Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism came into being in
June 1999, following the harmonization of the Culture and
Tourism as a Ministry by the present Administration. Its
creation by a democratic Administrations represent an important
contribution of the President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration
towards the growth of the Culture and Tourism sub-sector. It
was carved out of Federal Ministry of Information and Culture
and Federal Ministry of Commerce and Tourism. Consequent upon
its creation in June, 1999, the Federal Ministry of Culture and
Tourism was saddled with the overall promotion of our nation’s
immense and rich cultural heritage.
II LOCATION
 3.
At inception, the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism was
located at the Old Secretariat, Area 1, Garki, and it has 6
Departments and 10 Parastatals under it. In July, 2000, part of
the Ministry moved to the new Federal Secretariat (Bulet
Building), while the rest still operates from the former office
at the Old Secretariat, Area 1, Garki, since it was not possible
to secure enough office rooms at the befitting office
accommodation at the Bulet Building.
III VISION
4. The vision of the Ministry is to position
Culture and Tourism as a leverage for economic growth and
development.
IV MISSION
5. The Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism
shall promote the nation’s rich cultural heritage through
identification, development, marketing of the diverse cultural
and tourism potentials. It shall formulate and implement
policies aimed at diversifying the economy and placing it on the
path of sustainable growth and development.
V. OBJECTIVES / CORE MANDATE OF THE MINISTRY
6. The core mandate of this Ministry is to
promote Culture and Tourism as a foreign exchange earner, income
distributor, major employer of labour, a catalyst for rural
development / poverty reduction and fostering peace. Thus,
through cultural tourism, the Ministry will undertake practical
steps towards harnessing the nation’s cultural and tourism
potentials with the aim of ensuring that tourism contributes a
minimum of 4% of the GDP at any time in point as against the
current level of 0.95% of our GDP.
 7. The Units in the
Ministry include:
i)
Press Unit
ii)
Legal Unit
iii)
Audit Unit
8. The Parastatals
formerly ten in number have been reduced to eight and these
are:-
i)
National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM)
ii)
National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC)
iii)
Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC)
iv)
National Gallery of Art (NGA)
v)
National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO)
vi)
Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC)
vii)
National Troupe /National Theatre of Nigeria (NT / NTN)
viii)
National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR)
The major functions and
responsibilities of the Departments, Units and Parastatals are
highlighted in the subsequent paragraphs in the Ministry.
 VII FUNCTIONS OF THE
DEPARTMENTS AND UNITS
Department of Finance and Administration
9. The Finance and Administration Department:
i)
is
responsible for all matters relating to staff appointment,
promotion, discipline, welfare and training.
ii)
deals with establishment matters with regards to pension
administration, records and registry.
iii)
advises the management on personnel matters while providing a
cordial working relationship between the various Departments
/Agencies of the Ministry. It also coordinates the activities
of the Parastatals.
iv)
takes charge of receipts of funds and keeps records of all
financial transactions of the Ministry.
v)
is
responsible for the payment of staff salaries, allowances and
other entitlements, and payment of contractors and other members
of the public is done by the Finance and Administration
Department.
vi)
coordinates the preparation of the Ministry’s budget, prepares
all sub-allocations of quarterly releases to the various
sub-heads and serves as the Secretariat of the Ministry’s Budget
and Funds Allocation Committee.
vii)
is
responsible for supplies and purchases, and deals with
maintenance of office building, furniture and equipment.
Department of Planning,
Research and Statistics
10. This Department:
i)
is
charged with the responsibility of formulating policies for the
Cultural and Tourism Sector through the Organization of National
Council on Culture and Tourism in conjunction with all
thirty-six (36) States Commissioners of Culture and Tourism,
including State Tourism Boards, stakeholders and the
Federal Capital Territory.
ii)
coordinates the Council’s decisions and notifies all the
thirty-six States, States Tourism Boards, Federal Capital
Territory and various NGOs.
iii)
monitors the Ministry’s capital projects.
iv)
coordinates the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the production
and implementation of Tourism Satellite Account and the National
Tourism Master Plan.
v)
coordinates the preparation of the Ministry’s development plan
and programmes in collaboration with the Operational
Departments.
vi)
is
responsible for data collation and management, development and
policy analysis into relevant proposal of the operational
departments.
vii)
is
the Secretariat of the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB) for the
collation and processing of all contracts awards within the
thresholds of N1m – N50m for the Ministry and above N20 million
for FMCT’s Parastatals.
Department of Domestic
Cultural Operations
11. The Department is
responsible for:
i)
packaging and promotion of major cultural and tourism industries
and events.
ii)
providing services to domestic and international tourists.
iii)
Developing and promoting the propagation of Nigerian Cultural
diversities, preservation of indigenous and traditional herbal
systems, and tangible heritage such as festivals, crafts
production, etc.
iv)
encouraging the production of Arts and Crafts as a means for
poverty reduction among the people.
v)
The
publication of cultural magazines, books, pamphlets and flyers
as information materials for schools and tertiary institutions
for the promotion of Nigerian culture.
Department of External
Cultural Relations
12. The functions of the
department include:
i)
negotiation and implementation of Cultural Cooperation
Agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with friendly
countries and local / fare multinational organizations.
Department of Domestic
Tourism Services and Control
13. The Department is
responsible for:
i)
the
coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the performance of
the Tourism Sector in the country.
ii)
development and promotion of tourism products and domestic
tourism while building tourism information and its
documentation.
iii)
the
coordination and supervision of the activities of Domestic
Tourism matters as it affects the Ministry and its Parastatals.
iv)
the
maintenance of a reservoir of travel related data.
Department of International
Tourism Promotion and Cooperation
14. The main activities of
this Department include:
i)
policy initiation and formulation.
ii)
monitoring of the country’s tourism industry through
international cooperation.
iii)
handling of matters relating to bilateral and multilateral
cooperation between Nigeria and foreign countries and
various international organizations.
iv)
research and review of the country’s tourism industry.
v)
coordination of matters on Africa Travel Association, World
Travel Market (WTM) in Nigeria.
VIII FUNCTIONS OF THE
MINISTRY’S PARASTATALS
National
Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM)
15. The National Commission
for Museums and Monuments is responsible for:
i)
the
administration of National Museums antiquities and monuments
throughout the country.
ii)
construction, maintenance and management of National
Museums / Outlets for or in connection with:
Antiquities, Science and
Technology, Warfare, Africa and Black Arts and antiquities,
Architecture, National History and Educational Services.
iii)
the
preservation of antiquities and monuments and their declaration
as national ones.
iv)
granting approvals for establishment of private museums.
National Council for Arts
and Culture (NCAC)
16. The functions of the
National Council for Arts and Culture include: -
i)
promotion and fostering the appreciation, revival and
development of Nigerian Arts, Crafts and Culture.
ii)
registering artists and artiste group for effective business
relationship.
iii)
coordination of inter-state cultural exchange activities.
iv)
organization of exhibitions in visual, performing and literary
arts.
v)
promoting the development of traditional dance, drama, opera,
photography, folklore, oral tradition, literature, poetry,
painting and general arts, woodworks, embroidery, weaving and
similar crafts.
vi)
establishment of Cultural Centres, theatre arts galleries and
craft centers for the promotion of arts and culture.
vii)
preservation of all materials on culture that contribute to the
image of personality of Nigeria.
Nigerian Tourism Development
Corporation (NTDC)
17. The Nigerian Tourism
Development Corporation has the mandate for: -
i)
standardizing and sensitizing the tourism industry through
registration, inspection, classification and grading of the
Hospitality and Tourism Enterprises (HTEs).
ii)
identifying, assessing and documenting tourism sites and
attractions for development / investment and promotion purposes.
iii)
providing technical and advisory services to the public.
iv)
publicizing and promoting Nigeria’s tourism endowments.
v)
providing reliable and up to date tourism statistical data
through establishment of Tourism Data Bank and the
implementation of the Tourism Satellite Account.
vi)
liaison with relevant government ministries and agencies to
ensure and facilitate the provision of infrastructural
facilities at tourism sites.
National Gallery of Art (NGA)
18.
The major function of the National Gallery of Art is centred on
building different kinds of galleries, e.g: Portrait Galleries,
Galleries of Modern Arts, The National Hall of Fame, Galleries
of Contemporary Islamic Arts, Galleries of Contemporary
Christian Arts, National Photographic Gallery, National Gallery
of Architecture and Designs, and Special Workshop / Studios
Project. The NGA accepts and stores gifts of works of
contemporary art, property, money or other assets from
individuals and organizations, provided these gifts are not
inconsistent with the objectives of the Gallery.
National
Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO)
19.
The National Institute for Cultural Orientation is responsible
for:
i)
building up of personnel and materials for innovative study and
development of Nigeria’s history.
ii)
promotion of the nation’s cultural heritage and the continuous
movement of Nigeria’s cultural policy in line with
globalization.
iii)
Conduct of an in-depth research and documentation into Nigerian
culture and history.
Centre for Black and African
Arts and Civilization (CBAAC)
20. Similarly, Centre for
Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) deals with
preserving the legacies arising from Festac ’77 through public
lectures, discussions, symposia and performances. In rendering
these quality services, CBAAC has embarked on providing
indexes, guides, catalogues, and bibliographies to facilitate
the utilization of our resources. National
Theatre / National Troupe of Nigeria (NT / NTN)
21.
The National Theatre / National Troupe of Nigeria:
i)
encourages the discovery and development of talents in the arts.
ii)
promotes healthy cultural activities and habits in the society.
iii)
is
responsible for the efficient management of the National
Theatre.
iv)
manages and provides venue and facilities for exhibition of
arts, paintings, furniture, building materials, science
equipment, computers, etc.
Nigerian Institute for
Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR)
22. The Nigerian Institute
for Hospitality and Tourism has the responsibility for:-
i)
providing supervisory management courses for middle and
managerial cadres as well as upgrading courses for junior and
middle level cadre personnel.
ii)
management of tourism statistics courses for planners, research
officers and statisticians.
iii)
organizing certificate courses on Tourism Journalism for
Journalists in the Tourism Sector.
iv)
organizing specialized Diplomas and Postgraduate programmes in
Hospitality and Tourism Management for Senior functionaries and
trainers.
v)
providing short term managerial training for Senior Managers and
Principal Grade Officers in both public and private sectors.
IX PROGRAMMES AND
ACTIVITIES OF THE MINISTRY
Programmes
23.
The present Administration since its inception in May, 1999 has
demonstrated a strong commitment to the development of the
country’s cultural and tourism industry. As a first step in
this regard, His Excellency, Mr. President created a Ministry of
Culture and Tourism as a means of strengthening the country’s
cultural tourism. In addition, efforts are being made through
the implementation of various programmes and policy initiatives
to promote culture and tourism as one of important revenue
earner for the nation.
X
INITIATIVES / ACHIEVEMENTS
Policy Initiatives
24.
During the period of this Administration, Culture and Tourism
was given a pride of place and was selected as one of the six
priority sectors of the Federal Government. This led to the
introduction of policy initiatives geared towards increasing the
contribution of the sector to the GDP. These include the review
of the existing Cultural Policy of 1988 and the introduction of
a National Tourism Policy.
25.
One of the notable achievements towards implementing the Policy
Initiatives, is the establishment of the Presidential Council
on Tourism which is chaired by His Excellency, Mr.
President. Also important, is the establishment of the National
Committee on Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage headed by the
Honourable Minister of Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
There is also the introduction of a stakeholder Forum, namely;
the National Council on Culture and Tourism, in year 2000
for articulating policies aimed at boosting the contribution of
the sector to the national economy. The National Council on
Culture and Tourism, which is the highest policy-generating
forum, is made of the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism,
its Parastatals, State Commissioners in charge of Culture and
Tourism and Stakeholders in the Private sector.
26.
The National Council on Culture and Tourism, which is held
annually, had its first meeting in November 2000 in Jos, Plateau
State. Some of the notable achievements of the Council include:
i)
introduction and hosting of Abuja Carnival in 2005;
ii)
the
introduction of a National Tourism Policy;
iii)
production of the final draft copy of the Tourism Development
Master Plan;
iv)
the
introduction of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA);
v)
a
review of the 1988 Cultural Policy for Nigeria (80%
completed);
vi)
the
enlistment of Sukur World Heritage site at Adamawa and Osun
Oshogbo Sacred Grove into the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage
list.
27.
The National Tourism Development Master Plan has poverty
alleviation as its primary focus. Similarly, the main objective
of the “Abuja Carnival” 2005 is centred on promoting and
marketing the rich and robust cultural heritage of Nigeria and
her artistic expressions. The carnival is to be held annually
to serve as an essential tourism product.
XI
PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
29.
Some of the physical infrastructures embarked upon by the
present administration include:
i)
Refurbishment of the National Museum in Owo, Ondo State
ii)
Refurbishment of National Museum, Enugu
iii)
Wall
fencing of Jos Zoo / Museum
iv)
Completion of School of Archeological Museum Studies, Jos
v)
Construction of an Office Building Complex at National
Museum, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
vi)
Establishment of nine herbal Gardens at Getso and Abina in
Ebonyi State.
vii)
Construction of two round Maiduguri Crafts Centres
viii)
Block fencing and construction of workshop for Crafts Centre,
Bauchi
ix)
Construction of NICO permanent site at Kuje Area Council,
Abuja (15% completed).
x)
Refurbishment of National Theatre’s roof and electrical /
air-conditioning system
xi)
Construction of 3 Nos. Classrooms, one borehole with overhead
tank, 35 room office complex, generator house, all at NICO
Office in Lagos.
xii)
Construction of NTDC Zonal Office in Lagos
xiii)
Construction of Oguta Lake Resort
xiv)
Fencing of CBAAC Annex Office Building in Lagos
xv)
The
conversion of inter-centre Ikoyi, into a National Museum of
Human Rights violation.
xvi)
Construction of the Nigeria Cultural Centre and
Millennium Tower in Central Area, Abuja.
XII
CONCLUSION
30.
since its creation, the Ministry has witnessed a burst of
activities leading to notable achievements which has earn
accolade for Nigeria worldwide. The Ministry has as much as
possible met its objectives to position Cultural tourism
development in the country to an enviable height. The effort
now is to consolidate on the achievements, which is the thrust
for future years through the following:
i)
funding and implementing an aggressive marketing strategy in all
international tourism and cultural events;
ii)
continue to develop international and domestic tourism with
cultural tourism as the bedrock;
iii)
arresting the decay of the natural and built environment,
including key historic sites through conservation and
preservation;
iv)
the
coordinated implementation of the Nigeria Tourism Development
Master plan;
v)
complete the establishment of the Tourism Satellite Account to
assist in evaluating the actual impact of tourism in the
national economy; and
vi)
staging an even more spectacular Abuja Carnival 2006.
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