Creative industry is Nigeria’s next oil – Mac-Folly Hospitality boss

The sector is evolving in Nigeria. It has come a long way from where it used to be 10 years ago, even the major hospitality facilities that were here (Eko Hotels, Federal Palace Hotel, etc.) have gone through massive renovations to bring them to modern day standards. Hospitality as you know is not all about hotels, but other facilities. There is a nexus between hotels, tourism and culture. There are other areas in the hospitality sector that we are yet to explore. There are places like Ikogosi Cold and Warm Springs and other sites in the country, where good facilities can be put in place for people to come and relax, like what they tried to do in Obudu Cattle Ranch.

However, we have issues with security all over Nigeria. It is unlike Lagos where there is relative peace. You see, Lagos is not Nigeria, because here there is stability. There are great facilities like the Federal Palace Hotel and Eko Hotel, overlooking the waterfront. You see things like that in Cape Town, but we are yet to explore the opportunities in this industry in Nigeria, though we are coming up. Yes, there are new hotels like Marriot springing up everywhere in the country, especially in Lagos and Abuja, but we are not yet there. We are just evolving, but there is no doubt that the hospitality industry in Nigeria will be the next big

Apart from culture and tourism, there is also a major nexus between hospitality and aviation. So, as we continue to improve on the facilities in the hospitality industry, we can make the aviation industry better. In aviation, we now talk about the aerospace, where we can now begin to fabricate aircraft parts, manufacture and do maintenance. So, with all these things coming up, we can make the economy better.

As far as I’m concerned, we have gone beyond oil, and the next thing we will be chasing in the knowledge economy is hospitality, culture, tourism and aviation. These will become the next major revenue earners for our country. Like I said, look at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and even Saudi Arabia, they have added football to it. Basically, it is about entertainment, getting people to relax. Look at what happened at the last world cup in Qatar, look at the facilities. They had hotels that were built into the stadium; hotels were built into the airports. If you ask me, this business of making people comfortable wherever they go, whether they are doing business, whether it is a flight experience, the whole idea is to make people to be comfortable when they are out of their homes.