EFFECTS OF SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM

IN THE ECONOMY OF NIGERIA

A Fresh Perspective by:

Bamiduro Makinde
ID:15701122
CONTENTS
Objective
Limitations
General literature
Process of sustainable ecotourism development
Benefits from ecotourism
Coastal ecotourism development
Guidelines/suggestions for tourism agencies
Conclusion/Recommendations
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to shed light on questions like:
Will the introduction of eco-friendly methods and business practices improve overall
sustainability?
Are they directly related to productivity, welfare and health?
What will be the overall impact on the economy with the removal and banning of
fossil fuel generators throughout?
LIMITATIONS
The study is based on first hand perception including secondary data from surveys
and observations made in Nigeria.
Time disparity, diversity, accessibility, and connectivity to the places of tourists
‘interest in order to collect data are a major limiting factor.
Few of the observations are based upon the references collected from the internet
about the successful ecotourism destinations that can be embodied by agencies in
Lagos.
LITERATURE
Lagos has the largest potential for dominating the sustainable tourism industry in
Africa, overtaking its counterparts, Johannesburg in South Africa and Tanzania.
The natural conditions like good weather, scenery, beaches, waterfalls, varieties of
natural vegetation, wild animals are abundantly available in Lagos.
Furthermore, the presence of cultural varieties and histories in the national museum
and various historical sites usually have tourists left in awe.
LITERATURE (CONT.)
Despite the fact that Nigeria is Africa’s biggest energy producer, the country’s
electricity infrastructure needs vast amounts of investment
Only 40% of people are connected to the grid, and even they only get power 60%
of the time.
Amina Mohammed, the environment minister, points out that Nigeria’s population of
170m is expected to surpass that of the US by 2050
LITERATURE (CONT.)
Although this problem exists, there is a presence of eco-friendly tourist attractions like
the conservation center located on the island in Lekki.
Built in 1990, the Lekki conservation center covers a land area of 78 hectares. This
nature hub is run by the Nigerian conservation foundation (NCF).
The NCF was set aside to sustain the natural habitation of plants and animals as
urbanization began leading to the intrusion of areas meant for them.
PROCESS OF SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM
DEVELOPMENT
The development of tourism in Lagos is a process and it involves market and resources
evaluation.
The development of sustainability proceeds by recognizing the gaps and pitfalls in
the local tourism market in regards to general social welfare and identifying project
ideas to fill in the gaps and make proactive strategies to put those ideas into reality.
Different tourist centers differ in achieving overall sustainability in terms of being
100% eco-friendly. Some might be enthusiastic while others might be ignorant and
uninterested.
COASTAL ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT
With the presence of coasts and oceans surrounding the south of Nigeria. It is very
important that these natural bodies be kept ideal and clean for visiting tourists from
all over the world, especially during the summer time when it would be in its most
active state.
It is quite clear that there is no place of enjoyment and satisfaction without problems
and abuse arising.
Among the problems of the coastline that were observed during the research is over-
congestion. Caused by thousands of people trooping into these areas at the same
time. This problem is mostly encountered during the holidays.
BENEFITS FROM ECOTOURISM

Making tourist attractions environmentally friendly not only benefits the environment
but also saves money through recycling. Avoiding, reducing, reusing and recycling can
lower costs. It also ensures foreigners who are used to living in clean environments
make a second visit to the country, which means huge upsides to potential future
customers and exposure in untapped horizons. Moreover, it also stresses local
ownership, as well as business opportunities for locals.
Reducing the environmental impact of most businesses will improve the overall long-
term sustainability. This is because, being less dependent on non-renewable resources
than other competitors will give the state and country the upper hand and also the
advantage in having ways to deal with rising costs due to climate change.
GUIDELINES/SUGGESTIONS FOR TOURISM AGENCIES

Running an environmentally friendly tourism industry helps Lagos and its

environmental agencies to reduce its hazardous impact on its environment and
preserves natural resources and human lives. This can be carried out by;
The use of products that reduce reliance on natural resources (e.g. rainwater tanks,
solar hot water systems)
The use of products that are made from recycled material (e.g. office supplies made
from recycled plastic, furniture made from recycled rubber)
replacing diesel and petrol fueled generators with clean and conservative solar
power and wind energy
Introducing the use of solar powered and electric public transport systems (focused in
airports in collaboration with tourist sites)
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Along the coastline, there are noticeable improvements in the establishment of tourism
businesses such as hotels, restaurants, bars, guest houses and bread and breakfasts.
The tourism businesses are available to give maximum refreshment and relaxation to
potential tourists who visit the beaches.
In conclusion, it is believed that any economy can achieve their goals with the proper
planning and decision makers involved, who possess the necessary foresight and
intuition regarding long term objectives and reaching and surpassing them. The
government of Nigeria can only progress and ensure a better environment for future
generations only if they are able to abandon those fixed, corrupt and inflexible
structures on which they rely on so much and adopt a fresh and broader perspective
on climate change, renewable energy and sustainable tourism.