Date: 2012-08-27

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, has said that the Federal Government will engage in activities that top 20 economies of the world engaged in to achieve the Vision 20-20-20, especially in view of the fact that there are only eight years left for its achievement.

The minister made the call at this year's National Council on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation holding in Ilorin, Kwara State. Duke, while addressing stakeholders at the event, said the ministry will redefine its modus operandi taking into account current national realities.

"It must achieve the strategic need of transforming the sector and making it a major driving force for Nigeria's social economic development", he said.

He said essentially, the meeting will provide the stakeholders with a unique opportunity to discuss the fundamentals of peaceful co-existence in the face of multiplicity of religions, ethnicity and other divisive tendencies.

The minister expressed concerns over the Boko Haram insurgency, adding that to say illiteracy is the reason for the insurgency is to deny the obvious as according to him, many of the sect members are university graduates. He called for re-orientation and inculcation of sound moral values in the nation's youths so that they can embrace peace. The minister charged stakeholders to come up with strategies for funding and promoting cultural tourism at the local, state and national levels.

He added that the forum should also suggest ways and means for sustaining the conversation and preservation of key historic sites as well as proper maintenance of various centres for crafts development.