The President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), alongside his team, today received a delegation from GIZ–ECOWAS at the FTAN National Secretariat in Abuja.
The GIZ delegation was led by Mr. Bernard Tayoh, Head of Project Support to the ECOWAS Commission for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In his welcome remarks, the FTAN President expressed appreciation to the delegation for visiting FTAN and acknowledged the significance of the engagement to the development of the tourism sector.
Introducing the purpose of their visit, Mr. Tayoh explained that their project focuses on trade facilitation among African member states, particularly within the framework of the AfCFTA.
He noted that the initiative is funded by the European Union and is primarily centered on supporting trade negotiations and implementation processes under the AfCFTA.
He further highlighted that the project includes financing instruments such as grants and subsidies.
However, he emphasized that such support is only extended to credible and capable institutions.
Following their assessment, FTAN was identified as a qualified organization, prompting the visit to better understand its operational structure and capacity ahead of potential support.
Mr. Tayoh also stressed the importance of inclusivity, particularly the active participation of women and youth in the tourism industry.
In response, the FTAN President thanked the delegation for recognizing the Federation’s capacity and provided a detailed overview of the formation, structure, and operations of FTAN.
Adding her perspective, Madam Susan underscored that the current FTAN administration is committed to aligning its activities with the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Tourism. She noted that this alignment informed the development of the Tourism Transformation Mandate (TTM).
Chief Odusanwo further elaborated on the various sub-sectors and business groups within FTAN, explaining that the Federation’s goal is to strengthen its member associations and enhance their capacity to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the tourism value chain.
In his closing remarks, the FTAN President once again expressed appreciation to the GIZ–ECOWAS team for the visit and their interest in the Federation.
The GIZ delegation, in turn, commended FTAN for the warm reception and reaffirmed their commitment to exploring possible avenues of support for SMEs in the tourism sector through collaboration with FTAN.
