We are driving Eco-Tourism, Promoting Cultural Festivals to Attract More Tourists To C’ River. Says Commissioner Ewa

 The commissioner for tourism, arts and culture, Chief Abubakar Ewa, has stated that his ministry is focusing on driving eco-tourism and other cultural festivals to attract more tourists to Cross River state. 

Ewa, in an interview with THE BEAGLE NEWS to mark his one year in office, said the tourism sector in Cross River state has been very active but though being active there were some gabs that existed, adding that the ministry is trying very hard to diversify to other tourism potentials beside the popular Carnival Calabar thus, the venturing into eco-tourism that may not be visible in the state.

Explaining on the ministry’s policy, he said: “We have been able to go into eco-tourism ensuring that we bring out the various stakeholders to bring policies that are related to ecotourism because of our special place in the environment as a biodiversity hotspot because Cross River State is a biodiversity hotspot and we have a species of animals that you cannot find in any other place in the world. We have the lowland gorillas, we have the drill monkeys which can only be found in Cross River State and parts of Cameroon.

“Eco-tourism entails on the ecosystem, you know the remaining rainforest in Nigeria is located in Cross River state and this rainforest has a lot of species of animals that are very special. For instance you go to Uganda today, you want to site a gorilla, you may not even be able to see a gorilla as watching the nest alone where they gorilla sleep you pay $2000 that is serious money so when you grow the traffic in ecotourism what the state can generate take for instance an average tourist will spend 2 days, put it at 50 to 60,000 X 2 days X 2000 tourist then you will know how much you're going to generate from there as eco-tourism drive traffic.

 “Also, we have the Boje Swallow City in eco-tourism sector where Swallow birds migrate from Europe in millions to roost in a village called Kabake in Boki local government. This area was before now run AG Leventis, A G levantis as we speak are no more sponsoring it for now so we are in contact with partners in our tourism sector to see how we can continue to grow that sector.”

Speaking further, he said: “The ministry has been able to facilitate the sighting of a campus of the federal institute of hospitalism and tourism in Cross River State which is the only campus in South/South Nigeria, this is located in this building that is the Okoi Arikpo house, the institute is licensed and offers OND and HND certificates in hospitality tour guiding and tour packaging.

 “When we came on board he ranch was abandoned for 8 years by the previous administration as a ministry the governor charge me as a commissioner to ensure that ranch returns to its old glory. Meanwhile before we came on board the former governor senator professor Ben Ayade had concession the ranch to CIBA construction in 2021 but was unable to gain access because of the backlog of salary, royalties to the communities and non-regularization of staff. When we came on board his excellency was able to release funds for the payment of royalties and backlog or salary of the staff to the tone of 34 million and also the 140 staff that were working at the ranch where regularized into the main civil service of the state. Salaries backlog of 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 were cleared.  The cable car was put in place but as a responsible government he wants the contractors that fix the cable car to recertify it to avoid accidents.

 “In order to grow the traffic of our tourism sector we have engaged sterling bank consortium in the development of our tour sites, as I speak with you the foundation stone of our takeoff of our focal point, which is Kwa Falls, has been done. So, in this year's world tourism day Kwa Falls will be re-commissioned and to be followed by Agbokim Waterfall in Etung local government.

 “His Excellency, Governor Bassey Out, has approved for the ministry, the renovation of the cultural center. You know the cultural Center was in a very bad shape. It is also worthy of note to know that all the part-time staff and artist of the cultural center have all been regularized into the main civil service of Cross River State, some of them have worked for 15 to 20 years as casual staff.”

 On improving the Calabar Carnival, Ewa said: “The carnival sector with it a lot to make sure that we close the gap that existed before now, remember we had an incident some years back where a vehicle run into spectators along the carnival route, we've been able to make sure that the perfect method of closing the street by putting cross bars to keep spectators off the route during the carnival.”

 On the Ranch, he said: “The safari lodges that were abandoned in Utanga, Obanliku local government for so many years are being worked on and reopened in preparation for the Obudu mountain race next year we were supposed to hold the race this year but because of the Olympics in France we had to shift it. The last Obudu mountain race was held in 2014.

 On diversification of the tourism sector, the Commissioner said: “As a ministry, we were able to hold the cassava festival in Buanchor Boki LGA. This is a new event that we have been able to capture into our events calendar. We had the Bakasi fish festival, we also had the Okpambe fishing festival which can be compared to the Argungu fishing festival in Kebbi state and these are the new festivals we have been able to bring on board.

 “We have also unveiled agro-tourism because 90% of our cultural tourism are agricultural based during the season of harvest from August to September each year. This event will bring the traffic into Cross River State thereby improving on our hospitality industry.”

 On relationship between with other tourism stakeholders, the former local government Boki chairman, said: “There is serious improvement in the relationship with the tourism community and the stakeholders. We've been able to build confidence within the various organisations that drive tourism in Cross River State and Nigeria as a whole. We have hosted the minister of tourism in Cross River twice. These are indicators to show that tourism is thriving in Cross River State, we have a good relationship with hoteliers association. We also have a good relationship with EFTAN which is the body that drives tourism in Cross River State and in the federation.”

 On plans to drive more tourists down to cross River, Ewa said:  “Between December 2023 and May 2024, around 2.1 million tourists have visited the state. Our yearly projection is about 4 million but because of the bad roads, which is one of the hindrances to the usual influx of visitors into Cross River. At the moment, all the roads leading to the state are bad. But in the aviation sector, there is hope as His Excellency has given us hope of brand new aircraft. So, we will be able to drag air traffic into the state. So, we may not be able to achieve our projection if it continues this way.”

 However, the commissioner said because of the new tourism drive of the Out-led administration, the ministry of tourism art and culture came out as the best active tourism state in art and culture at the last year's MARFEST.