The Plateau Government is re-stocking the Jos Wildlife Park with N25 million, Mr Michael Zi, the General Manager, Plateau State Tourism Corporation, has said.

Zi, who made the plan known during a courtesy call on the Jos Zonal office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, said Plateau would be made a first choice in tourist destinations in Nigeria.

“The sum of N25 million has been approved in the 2012 budget for the re-stocking of the Jos Wildlife Park. Also, other monies have been approved for the improvement of Safari tracks, animal enclosures and paddocks.

“These will subsequently provide more facilities for tourists on both self and guided tours,” he said.

The manager explained that Plateau recorded more than 200,000 tourists annually when it was peaceful because of its unique sites, weather and topography.

He expressed regret that the tourists influx to the state had dropped to an average of 16,000 since 2010 and stressed that there could be no tourism without peace.

“The tourism industry in Plateau was attracting more than 200,000 before the crisis and this had multiplier effects on other sub-sectors.

“When visitors come in, because we don’t have hotels of our own, we take appointments from privately-owned hotels to book people into them.

“These people go into the markets to buy various food items and pay for other services, like light bills, water bills and transportation services because some tourists don’t come in their personal cars.

“So from the airport, the airport generates revenue, the airport taxi cab operators smile to the banks, hotel taxis charge money.

“Some of the tourists use public vehicles but some prefer motorcyclists to know the nooks and crannies of the metropolis.

“So, the hoteliers, the banks, the beer distributors, butchers and foodstuff sellers in the market feel the multiplier effects which cannot be quantified.

“The corporation only provides the enabling environment but it is the private sector people that are smiling to the banks and that is why hotels are springing up everywhere in the state,” he said.

Zi, however, said that Plateau still remained the first tourist destination in Nigeria in spite of its security challenges, pointing out that new tourist sites were being discovered and would be developed.

He said the corporation was partnering with hotel owners and the security agencies to provide guests information to safeguard the lives and property of tourists and prevent criminals from using them as hideouts.

Zi said the state government was working hard to overcome its security challenges and called for support from NAN in the peace process through its prominent role of sensitising the people on peace.

The Zonal Manager of NAN, Mr Ephraims Sheyin, said Plateau used to be the preferred tourists destination in Nigeria.

He said that in the past, Plateau hosted many conferences but expressed regret that the tourism potential of the state was being undermined by insecurity.