Tourism: A Valuable Tool for Peace and Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Abstract

The concept tourism is about activities of persons travelling to and staying in a place outside their usual place for not more than one year and not less than 24 hours. Nigeria as a country in recent years had been having some focus on tourism as a means of development, though it is noted that the country after the discovery of oil in 1956 the fortune of country’s economy automatically linked to petroleum, thereby leaving the Nigeria economy fragile, averting what would have been accrued to the economy. The consciousness of diversifying the Nigeria economy came up in 1986 though the promotion of other sectors such as tourism, agriculture. However, there had been some challenges for the promotion of tourism as a panacea for peace and development in Nigeria such as lack of political will, visionary policies, manpower, community participation, financial donor etc. Suggestions and recommendations are highlighted to use tourism as a valuable tool for peace and development such as eco-tourism, cultural tourism, religious tourism, business tourism and sport tourism should be taken seriously for peace and development in Nigeria. Key Wards: Tourism, Peace, Development

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