The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari has urged Nigerians to patronize the nations parks and game reserves as a way of developing the tourism sector in the country.
He made this appeal when the Conservator-General of the National Park Services, Ibrahim Musa Goni paid a working visit to the Agency to seek ways of collaboration for effective advocacy and enlightenment on National Park Service in Abuja.
Abari noted that inter – Agency relationship should be deployed at all levels to propagate government policies and programmes, adding that Nigeria as country has what it takes to be a tourism destination for all.
In his words: “As the Government of the day is working to restore security of the country back to normalcy, Citizens must develop love and patriotism for our country” he stated.
The DG NOA said that the Agency has presence in the 36 states including FCT and in all the 774 Local Government Areas across the country with robust platforms to educate and enlighten the citizen about the abundant wild life and tourism resources in the country.
Earlier, the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Goni had said that the essence of the visit was to inform the Agency that the NPS has been upgraded to a paramilitary organization in line with international standard and also seek support for mass awareness and publicity.
Goni stated that the NPS if properly positioned can serve as agent of rural transformation, integration, creation of employment, Schools and provision of health facilities for the host community. He also said that the National Parks can be used as tourism locations to harness revenue for the development of the country.