By Seun Ibiyemi
The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has inaugurated its South-East Zonal Executive Council with a mandate to transform the region’s tourism potential into measurable economic impact through increased investment, job creation, visitor growth and revenue generation.
The inauguration, held in Enugu on Sunday, September 6, 2026, marked the beginning of what the association described as an action-oriented phase for tourism development across the five South-East states.
The new Council pledged to strengthen regional collaboration, develop tourism destinations, mobilise investment, improve digital visibility and introduce measurable performance targets.
Speaking after the inauguration, FTAN Vice President, South-East Zone, Wilson Uche Ugwu, said the new leadership would be driven by execution, accountability and tangible results.
“We intend to move beyond talking about potential to actually building a tourism economy around it.”
FTAN Plans Five-State Tourism Circuit
Ugwu announced plans to develop a unified South-East Tourism Circuit linking Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi.
He said stakeholder consultations and destination mapping would commence immediately, with the first framework expected within six months.
According to him, insecurity and investor confidence, as well as infrastructure and policy gaps, remain major barriers to tourism investment in the region.
He said the Council would therefore strengthen engagement with state governments, security agencies, host communities and private-sector stakeholders.
The Council also plans to establish a unified digital tourism platform and a verified database of tourism assets and businesses, while developing professionally packaged tourism experiences covering the five states.
Delivering the keynote address, Chief Ben Etiaba, FCA, said the region’s major challenge was not a shortage of tourism attractions but the inability to convert those assets into commercially viable tourism experiences.
“The South-East does not have a tourism problem. We have a tourism conversion problem.”
Etiaba called for a regional strategy built around five priorities: Connect, Package, Digitalise, Invest and Empower.
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He said tourism development should move attractions into marketable experiences, transform those experiences into businesses and ultimately create jobs and sustainable prosperity.
FTAN President Tasks Council on Action
FTAN President, Dr Aliyu Badaki, charged the new Council to unite tourism stakeholders and develop a clear action plan for the region.
Badaki urged the Council to engage governments and relevant agencies collectively while placing the private sector at the centre of developing commercially viable tourism products.
“Let us see it in action that South-East is number one,” he said.
He stressed that government should focus on providing an enabling policy environment while private-sector players drive the development of tourism businesses and products.
Council Sets Performance Targets
Ugwu said the performance of the new Council would be assessed against three major outcomes: the establishment of a functioning five-state tourism circuit, increased tourism investment and job creation, and a stronger South-East destination brand with measurable growth in visitors.
“Stakeholders should judge us by what changed on the ground—not by the number of meetings we held.”
The Council reaffirmed its vision of “One Region. One Voice. One Tourism Vision”, signalling its commitment to coordinated tourism development across the South-East.
