The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, chairman of OJAJA Pan Africa Ltd, and the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for tourism development.

The MoU, which was signed on Friday in Abuja, is aimed at harnessing the NTDA’s mandate alongside the private-sector expertise of OJAJA.

The partnership seeks to leverage Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, cuisine and hospitality to drive economic growth and position tourism as a cornerstone of national development.

The director-general of the NTDA, Ola Awakan, who signed on behalf of the agency, said the initiative was part of stakeholders’ engagement, especially with the private sector, to ensure holistic tourism development.

According to Mr Awakan, repositioning Nigeria’s tourism sector aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda of economic diversification away from oil.

“This partnership promises transformative benefits for Nigeria’s tourism industry, including economic diversification beyond oil dependency, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“By utilising our storytelling capabilities, we can generate sustainable revenue, attract investments, create jobs and boost foreign exchange inflows,” he said.

Oba Ogunwusi eulogised Mr Awakan’s professionalism and dedication, noting his pivotal role in initiatives such as the Royal African Youth Leadership Forum.

The Ooni expressed gratitude to the president for appointing a youth to head the NTDA, while calling for initiatives that would encourage youth interest in tourism.

OJAJA is a Pan-African platform specialising in cultural branding and investment facilitation. 

It provides access to private capital and diaspora networks, creating a synergistic public-private framework for sustainable tourism advancement.

The NTDA-OJAJA alliance seeks to set a blueprint for tourism-led prosperity, promising lasting impacts on employment, revenue generation and global visibility.

(NAN)