The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has promised to make Abuja one of Africa’s leading tourism hubs. Part of the plan is to develop a world-class city center that will attract both local and international visitors.
The Permanent Secretary of the Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Olubunmi Olowokere, made this known while receiving a delegation from the Emerging Abuja Initiative, led by its Programme Coordinator, Dr. Kenneth Ibe-Kalu, in Abuja.
Olowokere praised the group’s vision for the city, noting that it would support both economic growth and social development in Nigeria.
She encouraged the group to extend its rebranding efforts to rural communities, saying that many areas outside the city are also in need of attention.
The permanent secretary further assured that the Secretariat is ready to collaborate with the group to achieve its goals.
In his presentation, Dr. Kenneth Ibe-Kalu, Programme Coordinator of the Emerging Abuja Initiative, described the project as one with huge potential to reposition Abuja on the tourism map.
He explained that the initiative would create jobs, provide employment opportunities for residents, and boost internally generated revenue (IGR) for the FCT.
Dr. Ibe-Kalu added that the programme would bring about wealth creation by opening up new opportunities for people to benefit from direct investments once the project takes off.
He expressed confidence that Emerging Abuja would transform the FCT into one of the top-performing regions in terms of IGR in the near future, leaving behind a legacy programme that future generations of Nigerians would be proud of.
