…As state targets 20,000 tourists, N7.5bn by 2015

Ordinarily, tourists to Nigeria will prefer more cosmopolitan destinations such as Abuja, Lagos and Calabar for security, convenience, and accessibility. Against all odds, Osogbo, a medium-sized city in the South Western Nigeria with a population of about 1.5 million people, is attracting even more quality tourists on daily basis.

The global attraction to the city is the annual Osun Oshogbo Festival and its dense forest housing the Osun Sacred Grove, on the outskirt of the city, which is also one of the last remnants of primary high forest in southern Nigeria.
Besides, witnessing a reawakening of the age-long tradition of the Osogbo people and the African cultural heritage at large, the festival this year with the huge and calibre of tourists it attracts is a meeting point for travel and culture.
Tourists and culture buffs travelled all the way from Brazil, America, Germany, Austria, Cuba, Great Britain, China and other European countries to witness the festival. The African Diaspora in their midst were particular about using the festival to reconnect to their roots. Their moods, dances, worships and cheers earnestly yearn for this needed connection as they join the Osogbo people in the communal identity that reflects in the strong bond that exists among the founding fathers of the town and its celebrated cultural heritage. This probably accounts to the improved turn-out of over 5,000 visitors.

The grove, host of the festival and also regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility – Osun, one of the pantheon of Yoruba gods, records the highest number of foreign guest this year than in other years. Apart from the traditional worship, the spectacular and breathtaking landscape of the grove and its meandering river dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honour of Osun and other Yoruba deities were enough attractions for the guests.
The inscriptions on the works that is part of the development of the movement of new sacred artists pioneered by Suzanne Wenger, an Austrian artist, priestess of the grove, is on its own a chronology of Osogbo spiritual and historical events.

The month-long festival climax with the worshipping of the Osun goddess at the Osun Shrine where the ‘Arugba’- the virgin girl, carries the calabash to the shrine, and Kabiyesi hosts the visitors from near and far to a big feast. Far from the scare about the royal tussle of the Atoja throne, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, the new Atoja of Osogboland had the support of his people and visitors at the event.
However, the town witnesses a surge in business activities within this period. More hotels, restaurants, cab operators are now springing up to relief the service and accommodation problems which most tourists and guests face before now during the festival.

Other places of interest such as art galleries, museums, local textile outfits made fortunes from most foreign tourists who purchase one or two items as evidence of partaking in this year’s Osun Osogbo Festival. Apart from the grove, Nike Gallery and Osogbo Museum were the most visited.
The festival also witnessed government, corporate and private sector presence led by MTN, the title sponsor. President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by Edem Duke, minister of culture, tourism and national orientation, as usual, says culture and tradition were critical to the socio-economic development of the country, and that the place of the private sector in economic development cannot be overemphasised.

For Rauf Aregbesola, governor of Osun State, support and sustenance of the festival is critical to the development of the state because it brings the state to global spotlight and possible investment opportunities, especially in hospitality and infrastructure development.  He identifies culture and tourism as sources of employment generation and foreign exchange earners, and reiterates his administration’s commitment to the development of the cultural heritage of the state.
With the infrastructure renewal and new investments in the sector, the governor hopes to increase tourist arrival to the state from 5,000 at the festival this year to 20,000 with target revenue of N7.5 billion by 2015.

The governor explains to the crowd that the festival is an integral part of his administration’s tourism development project, adding: “Unknown to many people, tourism is one of the silent money spinning economic activities. In 2010 it was reported there were over 940 million international tourist arrivals which globally raked in $919 billion.”

The governor explains further, “Our unique selling advantage is in packaging Osun State as the cradle of Yoruba civilisation and our target market is the Yoruba nation at home and the Diaspora. There are estimated 91 million Yoruba people scattered at home and abroad in West Africa, Brazil, United States, The Caribbean, Europe, Venezuela and Colombia. Of these, our target by 2013 is to bring in traffic of 10,000 tourists and rake in N3.5 billion. By 2014, the figure would have jumped to 15,000 and our projected revenue would be N5.6 billion. In 2015, we would have hit the 20,000 mark and attain N7.5 billion in revenue.”

Already, he has created a full fledge Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Home Affairs headed by Sikiru Adetona Ayedun. They are charged with responsibility of turning the face of the state tourism around to a choice destination in Africa and revenue earner especially the 16 historical sites identified in the state.

Stakeholders from the private sector at the festival also express their readiness to partner with government to engender the development of the economy.
However, the commissioner welcomes all visitors-Nigerians and foreigners alike to keep visiting the state even after the festival because there are enough to explore with over 16 historical sites, best of art and craft works, the very hospitable people and a very friendly tourism investment policy that assures on return on investment in the state. Well keep a date with next year’s edition.

The governor says in his address, “This invaluable treasure is one leg of the tripod of development for our state – tourism. The other two legs are agriculture and solid minerals. As you must have noticed, this year’s festival is like no other before it.”

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The changes follow a public consultation and were put into effect to “deliver a strong migration system which tackles immigration abuse, while allowing genuine students to study at genuine colleges.”

Sponsorship (Accreditation)

Sponsors wishing to sponsor foreign students at there college or University must have been accredited by either Ofsted or its “devolved equivalents”, QAA, the Independent Schools Inspectorate, the Bridge Schools Inspectorate, or the Schools Inspection Service. By April 2012, all sponsors must acheive “Highly Trusted Sponsor” status and be accredited by a relevant agency. Until then, there will be a limit on the number of sponsorships allowed by institutions who have not yet met the requirements.

English Language Requirements

Students must be proficient in English to level B2 in each of the four disciplines if they are studying at level 6 (undergraduate) and above. For Pathway and other lower courses, a level of B1 is required.

People trying to obtain a visa under the Tier 4 student route who are not attending an undergraduate program or above must provide a test certificate from an independent English language test provider as proof of their English language ability. A university can vouch for a student’s English language ability if they are coming to study at degree level or above.

This requirement may be waived for “truly exceptional students”.

Student funding requirements

Tier 4 visa applicants are now required to sign a declaration that they have enough funds to support their stay in the UK. Only banks statements from UK Border Agency-approved banks will be allowed.

“We shall refuse applications where the bank statements are from a bank which we cannot trust to verify the statements,” the UK Border Agency has stated in their guidance.

Work rights

Students at universities will retain their right to work 20 hours per week and do work placements where the work/study ratio is 50/50. Students at publicly funded FE colleges will still be allowed to work 10 hours per week. Other students will have no work rights, and work placements will have to be at the 66:33 Study/Work ratio.

Dependants

To be able to bring in dependents, a student must be a Government Sponsored student or enrolled in a post graduate course (NQF 7 and above) at a university. The course must be longer than 12 month’s in duration. Dependants are allowed to work.

Tier 1 Post Study Work

The Tier 1 Post Study Work route will end April 2012. This route allows students to work in the UK for up to two years after graduation. During this time the student will have the opportunity to find permanent employment and apply for a Tier 2 visa.

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Written by Clement Idoko

THE Federal Government, on Wednesday, said it has released the sum of N1 billion as fund in trust with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to combat high level of illiteracy in the country.

Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, who made this known while inaugurating the national steering committee on revitalising adult and non-formal education in Abuja, said over 40 million Nigerian adults and youths were still illiterate.

She expressed worry that in spite of the efforts by governments at various levels to raise the level of literacy in the country, not much had been achieved in terms of access to education. 

Expressing the commitment of the Federal Government to drastically reduce the high level of illiteracy in the country, the minister said the national steering committee, headed by the immediate past Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Professor Gidado Tahir, was to provide the government policy guidelines and implementation framework on how to tackle the menace headlong.

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