Just In : Lai Mohammed Gets Big Appointment (DETAILS)
Lai Mohammed, the former Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism in Nigeria, has been appointed as the Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili. The appointment was made known during the opening session of the 66th UNWTO Commission for Africa (CAF) held in Mauritius.
Having been actively involved in the activities of the world tourism body for the past seven years, Mohammed is expected to bring his extensive knowledge and experience to his new role. Notably, he played key roles in organizing the 61st UNWTO CAF Meetings in Nigeria in 2018 and the inaugural UNWTO Global Conference on Linking Tourism, Culture, and Creative Industries in Lagos last year. His primary objective in this position is to support Pololikashvili in making Africa a prominent region in the global tourism economy through the Agenda for Africa program.
Expressing his gratitude for the appointment, Lai Mohammed stated that he was deeply moved by the confidence placed in him by the UNWTO Secretary General. As he takes on this new responsibility, he highlighted Nigeria’s richness in natural and human resources, particularly in tourism, culture, creative industries, and technology. He pledged to guide the development of tourism in a responsible and sustainable manner.
The responsibilities of the Special Advisor encompass various areas, such as assisting in formulating a strategy for resuming sustainable and safe tourism after COVID-19, advising the UNWTO Secretary General on information and culture matters, preparing relevant reports and research documents in accordance with UNWTO principles, accompanying and providing counsel to the Secretary General during visits, and proposing appropriate public relations actions aligned with the priorities of the world tourism body. This appointment marks the first time Lai Mohammed will attend a UNWTO function as a private individual, following his service as the Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism of Nigeria for the past seven years
