Why financial institutions must support tourism – Access Bank ED

The Access Bank Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Hadiza Ambursa has enjoined banks, financial institutions and government to support the tourism industry for the country’s economic growth. She said if financial institutions are passionate about financial inclusion, they would intervene in the sector to help the growth of the SMEs. “We didn’t have many foreigners in […]

The Access Bank Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Hadiza Ambursa has enjoined banks, financial institutions and government to support the tourism industry for the country’s economic growth.

She said if financial institutions are passionate about financial inclusion, they would intervene in the sector to help the growth of the SMEs.

“We didn’t have many foreigners in the last event at Argungu like we had many of them participating in the past events,” Ambursa said.

She said, “I think the government should spend more money in the sector. President Tinubu during the Argungu event talked about development of infrastructure. Yes, we need infrastructure, yes, we need power, and we need security but the government should be less stingy to the tourism sector and put more money into it for people to feel its social impact.

“I have traveled to many countries and I have spent money to see some of the things we have here in the country. We are not taking tourism seriously,  if there are more people or institutions doing what Access Bank is doing it will be better for tourism in Nigeria”.

The bank executive director added that the bank because of its passion for the industry intervened in the Argungu fishing festival and it’s also intervening in the National Theatre project with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

 

 

 

She said if other banks, financial institutions and individuals are seeing the value of tourism they should come in to support it and get the sector to where it should be.

 

 

 

“Let’s use the Argungu fishing festival for example, look at the number of people there for the four-day event. It created economic opportunities for food sellers, those selling drinks and those invited to put the whole thing in place. I think it puts a lot of money in peoples’ pockets,” the bank ED said.