Enugu state government has reiterated its commitment to revamp and revitalize some of its tourist sites in the state in a bid to make them more viable.
The state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Ugonna Ibe disclosed this on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.
According to him, the revitalisation of the sector is to meet with government’s economic diversification plans to boost the state’s Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) and create employment for the teeming youths.
“It has been the desire of the state government to build its diversification from oil dependent economy to tourism-based economy,” he said.
Ibe noted that the state was among the five tourism hubs in the country with its rich tourist sites and cultural heritage.
“The state is richly endowed with natural resources such as hills, beaches, rivers, blue-deep lakes, fine waterfalls, caves and clean streams and springs (cold and hot) yearning for investment.
“These gifts of nature in their natural and virgin states are virtually situated in many rural areas in the state.
“If they are properly developed to a standard, it will offer the people opportunity to grow and business will thrive,” he said.
Some of these tourist cities are Ezeagu tourism complex, Udi range of hills – Milikin-Hill, Onyema-Hill, Awhum falls, Opi chain of eight lakes, and Oji, Ajali, Duru, Ebonyi and Ezu Nmamu Rivers.
“These eco-beauties are what nature gave to us that urgently need harnessing,” Ibe said.
The commissioner said that the state government was ready to assist any potential investor in the tourism sector.
“We are also open to Private-Public- Partnership (PPP) with any investor to develop these tourism potentials,” he added.
The commissioner added that funding was the major challenge of the ministry to develop those sites.
“I thank Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for supporting the policies and programmes of the ministry, but government cannot do it alone, we need more partnerships,” he said.
He stated that the security and peace in the state had made Enugu State number one tourist destination in Nigeria.