Group Mobilizes for Maiden S’South/S’East Culture, Tourism, Business Summit in Asaba

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The identification and promotion of potential tourism sites we will not only preserve our natural and cultural treasures but also create sustainable jobs and economic opportunities for our people, a group organizing the first ever tourism and business summit targeting the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones has said.

Unveiling the programme for the maiden “South-East/South-South Culture, Heritage, Tourism, and Business Summit 2024” at press conference in Asaba, the organisers harped on the uniqueness of the multidimensional socio-economic summit, assuring that it would have a positive ripple effect on the economy of the two contiguous geopolitical zones.

They asserted that their vision was not just on bringing to the fore the rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity of the area but also on deliberately unraveling its vast unexploited economic resources.

The comprehensive meeting is also in tandem with the eight (8th) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations regarding economic empowerment, the group added.

“The Summit is not just a social gathering for merry-making; rather it is another opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of South-South and South-East regions of Nigeria shared cultural heritage, linguistic diversity, the richness of their traditions and the vast untapped economic potentials. It is a platform where we, as custodians of history and bearers of tomorrow’s hopes, converge to reflect on our past, embrace our present, and reshape our future for collective prosperity.”

The summit, scheduled for the last day of November, is a brainchild of the collaboration between Apex Association of Anioma Indigenes Incorporated and Akurulo Media Organization “to promote our communities’ cultural connectivity and identity, as the value of a community handshake lies in its beauty and fostering connections that lead to numerous business benefits.

“Our agenda is unambiguous, which is to draw the attention of the global community, particularly the black race and the people of the South-South/South-East East region, to the uniqueness of our cultural, linguistic, and heritage values.

“We want to passionately showcase the vast untapped economic potentials in the tourism sector of the South-South/South-East regions of Nigeria and to promote the core business values that define us as a people,” the organisers said.

In their separate remarks, the President-General of the Apex Association of Anioma Indigenous Inc and Chairman of the LOC, Apostle Patrick Nwanze, along with the CEO of Akurulo Media International, Chief Chuks Ibegbu, stressed that “the summit is a clarion call for unity, mutual understanding, collective growth, and the pursuit of a prosperous future.

“Notably, the summit aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8, which advocates decent work and economic growth”, the pointed out, saying that could not close their eyes to the need to empower our communities economically through harnessing the inherent values of our culture, heritage, and tourism.

“The promotion of our business values, combined with the celebration of our cultural diversity, creates a unique opportunity to stimulate economic growth within the South-South and South-East regions of Nigeria.”