Business
Commissioner Declares Open Tourism Expo In Calabar
The Cross River State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Development, Mr. Eric Anderson, has declared open, the Niger Delta Tourism Expo with the theme; “Niger Delta Beyond Oil”: Tourism, A Key for Sustainable Development”, at the Conference and Entertainment Hall of Tinapa Lakeside Hotel, Calabar.
Anderson said the theme of the expo is in tandem with Senator Ben Ayade’s developmental policy, regarding non reliance on crude oil.
“Over the years, oil in the Niger Delta region has not been much of a blessing as it is intended to be, so we have to look for other ways to diversify the economy and tourism is one of them. As the host of this expo, Cross River State welcomes you all and is encouraging investment from within and outside Nigeria, creating a level ground for the private sector to fully participate in developing attractions with the state and around the Niger Delta”, he said.
The Events Coordinator, NDTE, Mr. Ubong Ekpe, said the drive behind the expo, is to change the perception associated with the Niger Delta as being a place of hostility, militancy, youth restiveness and incessant kidnappings.
Ekpe added that “this expo is telling the world that we have more than just crude oil to offer the international market. Our tourism and cultural potentials need to be explored and so we are calling on Africa and the world to come to the Niger Delta and invest in tourism. We are using tourism as a driver to promote unity, peace and progress, in the region. “
The Deputy Zonal Coordinator, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, South-South Zone, Mr. Ogozi Bassey Ekoh, said the expo, which promises to be enlightening will shift minds to see tourism as more sustainable than crude oil.
Familiarization tour of exhibition boots, group photographs and cocktail at the Crafts Village, were high points of the event.
The 3-day event featured lectures, training, awards and more.
Friday Nwagbara, Calabar
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.