December 04, (THEWILL) – Following the recognition conferred on the Director-General of the Bayelsa Visitor Information Centre and Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Tourism, Mr. Piriye Kiyaramo, at the 17th Akwaaba African Travel Market held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa State Council, Comrade Samuel Numonengi has applauded the Naija 7 Wonders team led by Ambassador Ikechi Uko for recognising the relentless tourism promotion efforts of Kiyaramo.
Speaking with travel writers in his office at Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Azikoro Road Yenagoa, on Friday, shortly after meeting with Di to the Governor on Tourism, Numonengi described Kiyaramo, popularly known as “Mr. Tourism” as a veteran travel journalist and passionate tourism advocate in the south-south region, whose contributions to the industry has earned him various awards and recognitions within and outside the state.
The NUJ Chairman, particularly thanked Ambassador Ikechi Uko, the pioneer publisher of the First Travel Magazine in West Africa and organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Lagos, which is the first international and biggest travel fair in West Africa, for honouring one of their own at the just concluded 17 edition.
Numonengi also thanked Governor Diri for appointing Kiyaramo as his SSA on Tourism, adding that since his coming on board as SSA on Tourism, stakeholders in the tourism sector have noticed the difference in his consistent advocacy and sensitisation of stakeholders with focus on resuscitating community life through rural tourism, with a view to stimulating domestic tourism.
He said the Bayelsa Visitor Information Centre at Ernest Ikoli Press Centre was set up under his leadership to compliment the prosperity administration’s efforts to spread prosperity, geared towards engendering inclusive participation of the citizens at all levels with specific focus on the socio-economic development of rural communities.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Bayelsa Visitor Information Centre and Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Tourism, Kiyaramo, said he was amazed at the recognition he received at the 17 edition, Akwaaba African Travel Market, saying that the conferment on him will spur him further to redouble his efforts to achieve set goals in line with the tourism development agenda of the prosperity administration.
He thanked the governor for giving him the opportunity to serve in the capacity of SSA on Tourism and promised not to take the appointment for granted, just as he thanked the organisers of the African Travel Market for nominating him for such honour.
Uko, while presenting the plaque of honour to Kiyaramo, said: “Congratulations on your appointment. We are proud of you and your contributions to the success of Naija 7 Wonders”.
It will be recalled that Mr Kiyaramo was inducted into the Tourism 100 Club, having made the list of Top Most 100 Tourism Personalities in Nigeria in 2019 from the Africa Travel Magazine. He also won the top domestic tourism promoter award in 2020
He was the founding secretary of Bayelsa Tourism Practitioners’ Association, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and the immediate past south-south zonal vice chairman of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria.
He is also the current south-south Coordinator of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN). He was a one-time executive council member of the West Africa Tourism Union, Ghana and the brain behind the Bayelsa State-owned International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Yenagoa being the man who drafted the Bill that established the institute.
Until his current appointment, Kiyaramo was the initiator and pioneer chairman of the Travel Writers Corps of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bayelsa State Council.
About the Author
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
