•As Kaya FM Boss Lauds Coker For Placing Nigeria’s Tourism Potentialities On International Market
CHIEF Executive Officer of the South Africa’s most popular FM Station, Kaya FM 95.6, Mr Greg Maloka, has commended the professional approach adopted by the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mr. Folorunsho Coker, at selling Nigeria and placing her tourism potentialities on the international market with territorial finesse, African cosmopolitanism as regards identity appreciation and sincerity of purpose
Maloka, who also lauded the concept of Tour Nigeria, a brand, initiated by the NTDC boss Mr Folorunso Coker, to propel better patronage and appreciation of the Nigeria’s domestic tourism by Nigerians and foreigners, said his team was in Nigeria for a profitable and worthwhile synergy with NTDC.
Kaya FM is a radio station, which reflects the lives of the predominantly black, urban listener between the ages 25 to 49 living in Gauteng. Pronvice and based in Johannesburg.
In a chat with tourism health and political reporters at Commodore Boat Club, Lagos Mr Maloka said: “We are here in Nigeria to see things through our own eyes, I mean African eyes. We do not want to report from the colonial eyes which has been the order of the day and which is not only subjective, but only sees and magnifies the amenable negative occurrences in Nigeria.
“We are committed to ensure a phenomenal rise, leap and increase in tourists’ traffic from South Africa to Nigeria. We want to reverse the Nigeria visiting South Africa without a corresponding positive story of South – Africans visit Nigeria . This is unbalanced cultural-economic scenario which cannot foster sustainable and lasting economic relationship and brother hoodbetween the two countries.’’
Mr Maloka said that Kaya FM, South Africa, “Is creating an intra-continental business tourism unity and relationship which will be a win – win for the two countries.’’
He lamented the neo-colonial politicisation of the elements and articles of harmonious cohabitation and commutation in Africa, especially through the platform of mega media platform of intercontinental influence.
Mr Maloka pointed out “And because of the confidence and trust which the South Africans have in Kaya FM, we deliberately set forth to visit Nigeria, feel Nigeria, see Nigeria and report Nigeria back to South Africa the way it is so as to facilitate their not only to visit Nigeria, but to also invest in the rural areas.’’
He revealed: “South Africans need to visit Nigeria to learn how Nigerians acquired the self confidence and stoic features which is a unique charactertstic of a typical Nigeria, which is grossly lacking in a typical South African.’
“We are going to sell Nigeria to South Africans through the prism of African native wisdom and employment of African sociological approach rather than the Western format which has brought more confusion and disunity.
“We are visiting tourism sites, engaging stakeholders who have something to sell in Nigeria to South Africans, organising seminar, workshop and interactive sessions on what and where the South–Africans can access when in Nigeria,’’ Maloka added.
David O’Sullivian, a member of the delegation “We are here on a voyage of discovery. Voyage of obtaining first hand information for a better perspective. Voyage that will lead to perception, modification and correction.’’
Brenda Modibane, Business Development and Marketing Manager, Kaya FM pointed out “From my short stay in Nigeria, it is evidently clear that South Africans have a lot to see, to gain and to learn from Nigeria. Our incursion into this wonderful country is an eye opener to the vast opportunity open for South Africans which we shall properly market to them.”
Coker said: “It takes a great mind to understand the socio-cultural international conspiracy against Africa which is being perpetrated and festered through some intercontinental octopus mega media. It is also a matter of great valour for another media giant to rise swiftly and embark on positive intra-continental perception re-engineering that is of sustainable mutual benefit, On this, I give a warm African kudos and salute to Kaya FM 95.6 for rising stoutly in a rare Pan African information balancing stride between two most distinguished African countries.’’
He revealed that the TourNigeria was as a result of a painstaking deliberation and deep thinking of how best to enhance and add value to domestic tourism and thankful that Tour Nigeria has not only been embraced by Nigerians, but has been acknowledged internationally.
The NTDC boss added: “I assure you of our impregnable and profitable support by opening and oiling the corridor of tourism business network, collation of meetings, facilitation of constructive interaction with sectoral leaders of thought and means, movers of the creative industry, leaders of night factories and those whose business and concerns will be of interest to South Africans.’’
Editor, Sunday Business Day Newspaper, Mr Zebulon Agomuo, commended the DG NTDC for expanding the coast of tourism reporting by interacting with reporters on other desks other than tourism.
