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Google collaborates with NTDC on tourist development
GOOGLE, in its huge influence to impact and organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful, has seen tourism as a catalyst for diversification and development of Nigeria economy, hence the collaboration between Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and Google became necessary which kicked–off a one day intensive training for top management staff on Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
The capacity building programme which took place recently at the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Headquarters in Abuja showcased how tourism can exploit digital technology to market and promote tourism in line with global best practice.
The Director General of the (NTDC), Mr. Folorunsho Coker, expressed delight over the training and welcomed participants for the training. He commended the partnership between Google team led by Miss Titi Akinsanmi who is the Head Public Policy and Government Relations west and Francophone Africa with NTDC and further commended their commitment towards continuous training as this is the second time that staff of the Corporation has benefitted from Google training.
“Digital technology is globally employed to drive tourism. Therefore I really appreciate Google for their commitment towards training of our staff in the relevant technology”, he said.
The NTDC chief reechoed that capacity building and staff welfare are the priority on his agenda in repositioning and promoting domestic tourism in the country.
“The staff of NTDC are important stakeholders in the tourism value chain, because they are the implementers of the Corporation’s strategic imperatives, hence the need for this training, they must possess technical know-how and skills to drive the development of the Nigeria’s tourism industry”, Coker added.
The Director General who also attended the training opined that it is high time Nigerians tell their stories to the world digitally as the world is undergoing dramatic reforms in digital technology.
His statement reads, “Nobody can tell our stories better than ourselves”. We have favorable climate, we are the most populous nation in Africa, culture, food, music, fashion, nollywood, entertainment to our advantage, let’s sell it to the outside world”.
Regarding this, the Google Resource Personnel, Mr.Ogundele Olumuyiwa Caleb noted that the partnership between Google and NTDC has been an all embracing and indeed multi-faceted as it has impacts on all aspects of tourism development. He assured that Google would invariably continue to do its part towards the sustainable development of tourism in Nigeria.
“The overall objective of this training is to equip the participants with the requisite digital skills to conceptualize and articulate targeted marketing strategies with a view of attracting a broad spectrum of tourists and create the conditions to evolve into a world class destination”, he said.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mr. Nuhu Auwalu, Deputy Director of procurement unit of the Corporation commended the Director General and Google for the initiative while thanking them for the partnership.
“On behalf of the top management staff, I want to appreciate the DG for his pro-activeness towards the welfare of the NTDC staff, we are very happy. This training came at the right time as this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) theme is “Tourism and the Digital Transformation”, we say thank you for impacting us with this digital knowledge, thank you Sir”, he said.
Former Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Adeolu Akande, has made a fervent appeal to factions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State to reconcile and unite ahead of the forthcoming local council election.
Addressing party chairmen and chairmanship candidates from the 10 local government areas of Oke Ogun zone, Akande emphasised the critical need for solidarity within the party ranks to secure victory in the elections scheduled for this month.
Highlighting the significance of unity within the party, the former Governor Ajimobi’s aide underscored that Oyo State is inherently an APC stronghold, but internal conflicts hampered the party’s performance in the previous election.
He urged members to set aside their differences and focus on the common goal of delivering a progressive government to the people of the state.
Speaking during the gathering in Otu, headquarters of Itesiwaju Local Government area, Akande stressed the imperative of forgiveness and reconciliation, emphasising that the party’s success hinges on unity. He lauded the efforts of the national leadership in fostering reconciliation, urging members to embrace the spirit of unity.
As a gesture of support, the ex-NCC gaffer provided financial assistance amounting to N500,000 to each of the 10 local government areas to bolster their preparations for the upcoming April 27 election.
The event was attended by APC Chairmen and Chairmanship candidates from the Oke Ogun Zone, alongside 21 former local government chairmen, demonstrating a collective commitment to the party’s success in the forthcoming election.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has made headlines by announcing a further reduction in the price of diesel, dropping it from ₦1200 to ₦1000 naira per litre.
The refinery’s decision comes on the heels of its recent supply at a significantly reduced price of ₦1200 per litre, which was introduced three weeks ago, signifying a remarkable 30 per cent decrease from the previous market price of approximately ₦1600 per litre.
This substantial reduction in diesel prices at Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to reiterate positively throughout various sectors of the economy, potentially serving as a catalyst in alleviating the persistently high inflation rate in the country.
In a statement last week, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest individual and the owner of the refinery, expressed his optimism regarding the potential impact of the price reduction on inflation in Nigeria.
“I believe that we are on the right track. I believe Nigerians have been patient, and I also believe that a lot of goodies will now come through. There’s quite a lot of improvement because if you look at it, one of the major issues that we’ve had was the naira devaluation that has gone very aggressively up to about ₦1900,” he remarked.
As anticipation builds around the implications of this move by Dangote Petroleum Refinery, stakeholders and consumers alike remain hopeful for the positive effects it could bring to the Nigerian economy in the coming months.
More than 50,000 Russian military personnel have died during the Ukraine conflict, the BBC reported Wednesday, citing its own reporters, independent media group Mediazona and volunteers.
They found that more than 27,300 Russian soldiers died during the second year of the war, a 25-percent increase on the first year.
BBC Russian, Mediazona and volunteers have been counting deaths since February 2022, using open-source information from official reports and the media, as well as using satellite images of Russian cemeteries to estimate the number of new graves.
The figure of more than 50,000 is eight times higher than the official toll acknowledged by Moscow in September 2022. It does not include deaths of militia in Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine said in February that it had lost 31,000 soldiers, but that figure is also likely to be significantly lower than the true toll.
Russian losses spiked in January 2023 as it launched a large-scale offensive in Donetsk and again months later last year during the battle for the city of Bakhmut.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” at dawn on February 24, 2022, which has since turned into a bloody and attritional war, isolating Russia from the Western world.
Responding to the report, the Kremlin said it did not disclose any information on military deaths and casualties, which falls under the remit of the defence ministry.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added official secrets laws and those covering what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine meant it was “absolutely understandable” that the ministry did not release the figures.
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