NAN-H-51
Carnival
By Martha Agas
Jos, Sept. 27, 2017 (NAN) Plateau Government on Wednesday said the Jos Carnival would soon become global hub for socio-cultural festivals, showcasing its rich cultural heritage to both local and international tourists.
Mr Peter Mwankon, the Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Hospitality, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos.
He said the state government was committed to making the carnival an annual event through Public Private Partnership (PPP) to boost Plateau’s economic activities, in line with the 2017 theme for the World Tourism Day — “Sustainable Tourism, A Tool for Development.
“Over-dependence on the oil sector has subjected Nigeria’s economy to snail development but
Plateau Government was poised to diversify the economy through tourism which would help to develop the skills of artisans, create employment for the teeming unemployed youths and attract investors to the state,” he said.
Mwankon said that the friendly weather in Plateau and the restoration of peace made the state
to become one of the most attractive tourist destination in the country.
He added that N34 million was spent on the maiden edition of Jos Carnival this year, stressing that the state government had signed a two-year Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) with Folks Innovation to organise the carnival
He explained that “proceeds of the MOU would be distributed equally between Plateau Government
and Folks Innovations.
“We want to make the festival a purely private enterprise event in subsequent editions even though
government would provide an enabling environment for Easter events.”
The commissioner called on the private sector, corporate organisations and individuals to assist in sponsoring the forthcoming Plateau State Festival of Arts and Culture scheduled to hold before the end of the year.
Celebrated annually on Sept. 27, World Tourism Day is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.
The event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to highlight the contributions the tourism industry can make in achieving
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (NAN)
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Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu