Award winning actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, popularly known as Omo Sexy, has expressed concern over poor maintenance of some tourist sites in the country.
Jalade-Ekeinde, who is among the 2013 Time Magazine 100 most influential people in the world, expressed worries while on the set of movie production, Shadowparties, at Olumirin Water Falls in Erin Ijesha, Osun State.
She said on Instagram, @realomosexy, to commemorate this year’s World Tourism Day: “Such a breathtaking #tourist destination that needs maintenance and promotion!
“I’ve paid to visit less awesome places in the world.”
The actress, who described herself as an “intense tourist”, said: “I look forward to a time when tourism and entertainment would take their pride of place for Nigeria.
“We need to preserve and commercialise these opportunities with private investors. This will boost income, travel, peace, employment and decrease crime… ”
Jalade-Ekeinde also suggested positive steps that could be taken to revamp the sector.
She listed such steps to include change of the current management of the sector and “unselfishly lease out these sites to private investors.
“Regulate pricing so it does not become unaffordable to the masses, create competition between states to see which would bring in more, and get worthy and passionate faces/ambassadors to attract interests.
“Compete internationally, brutally and stop the mediocrity.”
Jalade-Ekeinde, who is also a UN WFP ambassador, has made 300 or so features from the 1996 Mortal Inheritance to the 2010 super production, Ijé, shot partly on location in Los Angeles, United States of America.
Married to an airline pilot, she wedded on a flight from Lagos to Benin.
Jalade-Ekeinde brings a juggler’s grace to her roles as actress, singer, reality-show star.
She is a mother of four and a philanthropist at the Omotola Youth Empowerment Programme.
NAN.
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