The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Grace Akpan, has called for integration of tourism in schools’ challenge programmes.
The Permanent Secretary made the call Thursday, April 10, during a courtesy call by a state-based Non Governmental Organisation, Wilhenry Education Foundation, led by the Project Director, Mr. Inore Umoh.
In her remarks, Mrs Akpan said there was need for teachers in the state to educate their students about their environment, particularly natural endowments and tourist sites, during General Studies classes, and thereby made a case for integration of tourism in schools’ quiz competitions.
She commended the Foundation for taking up school challenge programme in schools across the state capital, emphasising that with the ARISE agenda placing high premium on tourism, it was expedient for students across the state to have its knowledge and that of tourism which is gathering momentum in the state.
The Tourism Permanent Secretary reiterated that students in Akwa Ibom State should be able to list with ease tourists’ sites such as the Ibeno beach, Ibom International Hotel and Golf Resort, Unity Park, Victor Attah International Stadium, Ibom Tropicana Mall, Mary Slessor Cairn, the mystical Blue River and Ibom Plaza, among others.
She urged the Wilhenry Foundation to integrate such areas in their schools quiz competition in order to keep the students alive to their environment.
She said that most of the tourist attractions in Akwa Ibom are already in history textbooks such as the Amalgamation of Nigeria by Lord Frederick Luggard, the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and the Abolition of the killing of Twins by Mary Slessor.
She implored the Foundation to integrate them in their schools’ challenge, as all those global historic events took place in Akwa Ibom State.
Earlier, the Project Leader of the Wilhenry Education Foundation, Mr Umoh said he and his team members were in the Permanent Secretary’s office to interact with her and the entire Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
He added that the visit was also to solicit support for the School Challenge Programme which would be carried out among 16 secondary schools in the state capital on Science and General Studies, coming up in May 2025.
Mr. Umoh said that the Foundation, which is about a decade old in operation, had so far engaged in the rehabilitation of science laboratories for three schools in the state and is currently working on growing students’ interest in science subjects with the introduction of quiz competitions in sciences among students.
The Team Lead intimated that the Foundation had been following the works of the Tourism Permanent Secretary online and has been very impressed with her performance.
He congratulated her for the high level promotion given to tourism and the ARISE Agenda in her regular feature in the media, urging her to keep up the good work.
Members of the Foundation who accompanied the Project Leader included the Treasurer, Ubeka Charles, and the Coordinator, Logistics, Diamond Inyang.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of gift to the Permanent Secretary by the Foundation.
