The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has inaugurated its South-East Zonal Executive Council with a bold mandate to transform the region’s vast tourism potential into tangible economic gains through investment, job creation, increased visitor traffic and revenue generation.
The new council was inaugurated in Enugu on Sunday, September 6, 2026, signalling what the association described as a new, action-driven phase for tourism development across Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi states.
Speaking after the inauguration, FTAN Vice President, South-East Zone, Wilson Uche Ugwu, declared that the new leadership would be judged by execution, accountability and measurable results rather than rhetoric.
“We intend to move beyond talking about potential to actually building a tourism economy around it,” Ugwu said.
He announced plans to establish a unified South-East Tourism Circuit connecting the five states, with stakeholder consultations and destination mapping expected to begin immediately.
According to him, the first framework for the circuit is expected within six months, with the initiative designed to package the region’s attractions into commercially viable tourism experiences capable of attracting investors and visitors.
Ugwu identified insecurity and weak investor confidence, alongside infrastructure and policy gaps, as some of the major obstacles holding back tourism investment in the region.
He said the council would intensify engagement with state governments, security agencies, host communities and private-sector operators to tackle the barriers and create a more attractive environment for tourism businesses.
The council is also targeting the creation of a unified digital tourism platform, a verified database of tourism assets and businesses, improved online visibility and professionally packaged five-state tourism experiences.
South-East Has Tourism Conversion Problem — Etiaba
Delivering the keynote address, Chief Ben Etiaba, FCA, warned that the region’s problem was not a shortage of tourist attractions but its inability to turn those attractions into profitable and sustainable tourism products.
“The South-East does not have a tourism problem. We have a tourism conversion problem,” Etiaba declared.
He urged stakeholders to adopt a regional strategy built around five priorities — Connect, Package, Digitalise, Invest and Empower.
Etiaba stressed that attractions must be converted into experiences, experiences into businesses, and businesses into jobs and sustainable prosperity if tourism is to become a serious economic force in the South-East.
FTAN President Demands Action
The FTAN President, Dr Aliyu Badaki, charged the new zonal council to unite tourism stakeholders and develop a clear action plan capable of producing visible results.
“Let us see it in action that South-East is number one,” Badaki declared.
He advocated stronger private-sector leadership in the development of commercially viable tourism products, while urging governments to focus on creating the policies and infrastructure needed to enable the industry to thrive.
Council Sets Targets For Performance
Ugwu said the council had deliberately established measurable benchmarks against which its tenure would be assessed.
He listed the key targets as the establishment of a functioning five-state tourism circuit, increased tourism investment and job creation, as well as the emergence of a stronger South-East destination brand capable of delivering measurable growth in visitor numbers.
“Stakeholders should judge us by what changed on the ground—not by the number of meetings we held,” he said.
The new leadership subsequently reaffirmed its guiding vision: One Region. One Voice. One Tourism Vision.
