…list MSME development gains
By Onwa Ekor
Strategies aimed at injecting more life into the tourism sector have reached advanced stage through a proposed stakeholders engagement between the Cross River Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (CRSMEDA) and the Calabar Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (CALCCIMA).
The event billed for Friday, October 10, will also be channeled towards properly harnessing the tourism sector while offering succour to MSME businesses in the state.
Director General/CEO of CRMEDA, Great Ogban and the Vice President (Tourism) of CALCCIMA, Justina Ovat, to fast-tract the initiative, recently paid a working visit to the MD/CEO of the state tourism Bureau, Prince Ojoi Ekpenyong, at his Calabar office.
Ogban, who briefed newsmen shortly after the visit, informed that the discussions were centered on strategically harnessing the vast potentials of the tourism sector while breathing life into numerous businesses across the 18 local government areas of Cross River.
He added that the meeting among other things reviewed the ongoing state government efforts to supporting local businesses, while fostering a robust collaboration between CRSMEDA, CALCCIMA, and the Tourism Bureau.
Ogban said the synergy would consolidate on the existing gains while expanding the current administration’s achievements in the tourism sector through the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) development.
On his part, the Tourism Bureau Chief, Prince Ojoi Ekpenyong, lauded the gains of the synergy, which he viewed as a “solutions strategy.”
Highlighting the state government’s commitment, he explained that Fifty Million Naira (₦50,000,000) has already been disbursed as grants to businesses within the hospitality sector, as a crucial stimulus package.
Ekpenyong further informed of plans to annually elevate 50 hotels and restaurants, a development that would propel the state back to its position as the leading tourism destination in Nigeria.
He intimated that in a bid to strengthen community-led conservation, a Community Tourism Association comprising local hunters, will be created, to provide grassroots protection for the state’s green areas which accounts for 45% of Nigeria’s total tree cover.
The tourism Bureau helmsman added that the initiative will also berth a comprehensive state’s tourism database, underscoring Cross River’s advanced readiness for strategic partnerships and growth.
