NTDC partners Google to provide training for small businesses, digital skills initiative

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and Google are partnering to provide training for small businesses and digital skills initiatives for individuals.
The announcement of partnership is focused on enabling the recovery and growth of Nigerian tourism sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This are steps in what will be a longtime partnership”.
NTDC Director-General, Folorunsho Coker made the disclosure in his 60th Independece anniversary message,saying that it is an intentional promotion of domestic tourism to re-energize the economy and rural development in Nigeria.
Coker, stated that his Agency and Google also collaborated to launch a new Google Arts and Culture collection called ‘Tour Nigeria’.
He said the tourism sector is a key pillar of Nigeria’s economy. Initiatives that support and promote domestic tourism are critical, not only for the sector but also because a stronger tourism sector will help Nigeria’s economy’ recover in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
“An expanded tourism sector will be able to drive employment and stimulate economic growth. Initiatives like Google’s, that are grounded in data-driven insights into how the sector can be supported and grown – strengthens NTDC’s ‘Tour Nigeria’ strategy, which seeks to promote domestic tourism in Nigeria. We are even more convinced now of the validity of this strategy and the rightness of our path, and are excited to kick start this with the ‘Tour Nigeria’ collection with Google Arts and Culture.
“Google Arts and Culture has worked with the NTDC over a number of months to create an online exhibition of imagery, stories and commentary highlighting some of Nigeria’s beautiful, hidden gems from the Awhum Caves of Enugu, to the Farin Ruwa falls of Nasarawa, the Osun Osogbo sacred grove of Osun state, and the Wikki Warm spring of Bauchi state. The project also features stories and photos from some of the most colourful cultural festivals in the country including the Yauri Rigata Festival, and the Kano Durbar Festival”,Coker said.
According to him, Google Arts and Culture and the NTDC have also launched a new ‘Explore Nigeria’ video series featuring top Nigerian social media influencers and YouTube creators. This video-based series highlights the best of Nigeria through the eyes of these influencers and can be found here at http://goo.gle/TourNigeria.
“Rich heritage, natural beauty and vibrant cities, Nigeria is a destination we all need on our travel shortlist soon. Even though 2020 continues to be a challenging year for Nigerians and travellers from around the world, I hope that this unique online experience – created in collaboration with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation – can contribute to further promote Nigeria’s iconic sites and capture its stories. And even though I can’t travel, the project inspired me to start that journey by exploring the country through the works of Africa’s first literary Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka,“ says Amit Sood, Director, Google Arts & Culture”.