Former Nigerian Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, has been appointed as a Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili.
The announcement of his appointment was made during the opening session of the 66th UNWTO Commission for Africa (CAF), currently taking place in Mauritius.
Lai Mohammed brings extensive knowledge and experience to his new role, having been actively involved in the affairs of the World Tourism Organization for the past seven years. Notably, he played pivotal 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 main focus as a Special Advisor will be to assist Secretary-General Pololikashvili in advancing the Agenda for Africa program, aiming to position Africa as a key region in the global tourism economy.
Accepting the appointment, Lai Mohammed expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him by the Secretary-General.
“I stand before you, deeply touched and inspired by your generous words of confidence and trust. With so much gratitude for the confidence placed in me by the secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Mr. Zurab Pololikashivili, and with an unswerving resolve to honour that trust, I humbly accept the appointment as the special advisor on Tourism to the secretary general of this great Organization.
“This would mark the first time that I would be attending a function of the UNWTO as a private individual, having for the past seven (7) years, served as the Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I wish to extend my deepest respect and appreciation to all the leaders of the member states, particularly those from the African region, for their support and friendship,” he maintained.
Mohammed added that, “I am deeply honoured to become the first Nigerian to serve in this capacity. Nigeria is dynamic and diverse in terms of natural and human resources in the areas of tourism, culture, creative industries, technology and other aspects of our national economy. Having come so far and rising still, the Nigeria and Africa region in general is living and shaping the full range of achievements and challenges of our current times. It is therefore inspiring to take on more responsibilities that will guide the development of tourism in a more responsible and sustainable manner.”
His responsibilities will encompass various tasks, including helping to develop a strategy for a sustainable and safe post-COVID-19 tourism, providing advice on information and culture-related issues, preparing relevant reports and research documents in line with UNWTO principles, accompanying the Secretary-General on visits, and proposing public relations actions aligned with the organization’s priorities.
