Tourism can become highest labour employer in Plateau — Commissioner

Peter Mwankon, the Plateau State Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Hospitality, says the state’s tourism sector has the potential to become the highest employer of labour.
The Commissioner stated this in Jos on Saturday when Save and Humanity Organisation, an NGO, conferred on him an award in recognition of his contribution to the development of the sector.
Mwankon added that in view of the huge potentials in the state, the Plateau State Government is working assiduously to revive the sector.
He said: “Tourism has huge potentials that are capable of becoming the highest employer of labour apart from the huge revenue that they can generate for both government and the people.
“The sector can create millions of direct and indirect jobs when it is thriving.
“If there is influx of tourists into Plateau, everyone, ranging from pure water sellers to hoteliers, apart from government, will benefit.”
Mwankon said in the past two years, the Governor Simon Lalong administration in the state had taken concrete steps to develop tourist sites as part efforts to develop tourism.
According to Mwankon, the state government has revived the Jos Carnival and since then it has been attracting tourists to the state.
He said that the state government also revived cultural festivals that had almost died out.
He said since then “people have been coming from all parts of the country to participate”.
The commissioner praised the NGO for recognising his contribution to the growth of tourism, adding that the award would spur him, the staff and management of the ministry to do more for the further development of the sector.
Responding, the Executive Director of the NGO, Abraham Oyibo, said the commissioner was the first the NGO had honoured with the Service Ambassador award.
Oyibo said the NGO was out to promote good governance.