Niger Govt To Develop Culture, Tourism

Governor Babaginda Aliyu of Niger State has said his administration would pay more attention to development of the culture and tourism sector.

Aliyu gave the assurance at the 2nd Borgu International Gani-Dubar Festival which held in New Bussa, in the state.

“Government is fully committed to harnessing the enormous potentials in the culture and tourism sector in order to achieve our economic transformation agenda and realisation of vision 20: 2020.

“This is imperative because we must encourage the diversification of our economy to meet the need and aspiration of our people”, he said.

Aliyu noted that the decision of the government to develop the tourism sector was to enhance the economic being of the people by creating job opportunities for the teeming youths.

He commended the foresight of the Emir of Borgu, Haliru Dantoro, for organising the event, saying that such festival would attract international recognition.

He said the festival would attract people to invest in the state, thereby creating vast employment opportunities for the youths.

The governor urged the state Ministry of Tourism and culture to be more involved in the hosting of festivals, to promote such festivals to the outside world.

“I therefore direct the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to harvest the maximum benefits of these cultural activities and programme which are critical to our economic development, unity, peace and cohesion”, he said.

Earlier, the Emir of Borgu, Haliru Dantoro, said the 2nd Gani-Durbar festival was to commemorate the 45th Anniversary of the resettlement of the Borgu people from the old Bussa, which took place in 1968.

Dantoro said the festival was full of immense historical and cultural significance aimed at promoting a sense of history and culture.