* Launches OPU in Egypt
By John Odunjo
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, says that Nigeria has immense potentials to be a world-class tourism destination.
Adams, who said his visit to Egypt was an eye-opener to the various economic, social, political and global opportunities for Africa and Nigeria in particular, urged the federal and state governments to learn from the development of Egypt’s tourism industry.
Adams, who spoke during his 10- day visit to the North African country for the launch of the country’s chapter of the Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) and the inauguration of the Yoruba community, said “Nigeria should learn to develop its tourism sites and showcase them to the world.”
The Yoruba generalissimo and culture promoter, who paid a visit to the Nigerian ambassador in Egypt, said the pyramids and museums in the North African country have remained enduring legacies of the country.
He said, “I didn’t know that Egypt is very rich in tourism. It is like Europe and the government has succeeded in building tourism destinations that would endure for ages.This is what Nigerian federal and state governments should encourage.
“I am appealing to the Nigerian government to dig deep into the tourism sector and bring out all the beautiful artefacts and nature’s endowments that are the heritage of Nigeria.
“Egypt is a Muslim country with a population of 107 million people. The traffic of tourists coming to Egypt for holidays is huge and encouraging.
“We visited places like tomb of the late Imam Hussein, the Red Sea, and Mount Sinai, among others,” he said.