By: Chiadikobi Ozor
The traditional ruler elect of Ozara/Ubogidi proposed autonomous community in Nsukka local government area of Enugu State High Chief Samuel Ikechuchukwu Asadu (Okenwa Ogadagidi) has described archerolgy and tourism as vital tool for foreign investiment.
High Chief Asadu disclosed this in a maiden lecture of the department of Archeology and Tourism, university of Nigeria Nsukka he delivered at Princes Alexandra Auditorium of the university.
High Chief Asadu in the maiden edition lecture said that cultural institutions and museums play vital roles in the development of any country across the globe.
He noted that archeology and tourism is a huge foreign exchange earner; explaining that many people across the world visit museums and tourist centres daily for research purposes and sight seeing.
” Cultural Institutions and museums play vital roles in tourism development of any country.
“Some of the countries in Africa like Kenya and South Africa get huge foreign exchange from tourism to sustain their economy,” he said.
He advised students of the department to take their studies serious as there are unlimited opportunities in terms of employment across the globe.
“If you excel in your course of study on graduation you can be employed in any part of the world as tourism has become economy sustainable development of many countries,”he said
Prof. Abba Tijani, Director General, National Commission for Museum and Monuments (NCMM) in a keynote address at the first multidisciplinary conference of the department of Archeology and Tourism said that heritage resources are sustainable economic development tool that can sufficiently contribute to tourism development of any country.
The Conference was tagged ‘Multi-disciplinary Collaboration in the 21st Century: Planning for the Present and Future.”
Prof Abba described tourism as a major item of international trade that was capable of boosting the economy of any country.
“Heritage resources promote tourism and supposed to be more viable in Africa, because the continent is rich in cultural and natural heritage.
“Heritage tourism has the ability to create employments as well as serve as a mechanism for protecting natural environment.
“It also preserves historical, archaeological and religious monuments as well as generate foreign revenues,” he said.
Prof. Abba who was represented by the Director of Monuments Heritage and Sites in the commission, Mrs Victoria Osuagwu said that safeguarding the integrity and fabric of Nigeria’s heritage resources could be achieved by sustainable tourism management.
“The sustainable use of country’s heritage resources for tourism must have at its centre preservation and conservation of national heritage “he said.
The DG commended the department of archeology and tourism of University of Nigeria, Nsukka for the multi-disciplinary conference and described the theme of the conference as very apt in moving the tourism sector forward.
In a remark, Prof Charles Igwe Vice-chancellor Unvsrrsity of Nigeria , Nsukka said archeology showcased the past and present of any country using tourism as s launching pad.
“The study of archeology helps to know historical facts of the past so as to use such facts to plan for future,”he said.
Igwe who was represented by the Deputy Vice-chnacellor administration commended Dr Emeka Okonkwo, Head of the Department of Archaeology and Tourism for being the first in the faculty of Arts to organise multi-disciplinary conference to find solutions of challenges facing museums and tourism in the country.
“The university is proud of the efforts of the department in moving the department to a greater height and pledged that the university management will continue to support the department,” he said.
Earlier Dr.Eneka Okonkwo, said that, the conference was conceptualised out of the need to address academic and societal issues from different perspectives.
“You will agree with me that the present-day Nigeria is bedeviled with several challenges and it is only through a multidimensional approach that these issues can be tackled and resolved.
Dr. Okonkwo noted that the conference will provide an interdisciplinary platform for research scholars of diverse fields from different parts of the country to come together to exchange and share their experiences.
“Such issues that will be addressed include, natural and cultural heritage resources, tourism development, insecurity and conflict management,”he said.
