Publisher's Synopsis
Nigeria's tourism industry has come a long way and evolved over time due to the efforts of individuals in the tourism space who have ensured that the sector plays an important role in the growth of the economy. The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) was established in 1992 by Decree No. 86 of 1991, during the administration of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. The corporation was initially known as the Nigerian Tourist Association before it was changed to NTDC in 1992. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo created The Federal Ministry of Tourism and Culture in June 1999 to promote the nation's rich tourism potentials and cultural heritage through identification, development, and marketing of the diverse cultural and tourism opportunities. In 2005, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo set up a Presidential Committee to come up with a Nigeria Tourism Development Master Plan.
Tourism in Nigeria centers largely on events, due to the country's ample amount of ethnic groups, but also includes rain forests, savannah, waterfalls, and other natural attractions. Tourists spent US$2.6 billion in Nigeria in 2015. The history of tourism in Nigeria is intertwined with the history of the country itself. Visited in the 15th century by Europeans, Nigeria became a center for the trade in enslaved people. Following independence in 1960, organized tourism started with the establishment of the Nigeria Tourist Association in 1962. During the military era (1966-1999) and the early democratic dispensation (1990-2005), tourism development was uncontrolled and yielded low gains.
