TOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: ATTRACTIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF CARNIVALS AND FESTIVALS
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Date
2017
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Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, Pennsylvania
Abstract
Nigeria is blessed with several features which are reflections of the country’s cultural diversity and historical trajectory. These cultural events including carnivals and festivals have attracted several international recognitions and made the country a preferred tourism destination. The carnivals and festivals possess the potentials for contributing to development of the country through economic empowerment and provision of infrastructure at such destinations. Prominent among such carnivals and festivals are the Grand Durbar Festival, the famous Argungu Fishing Festival, the Atilogwu Dancers and the New Yam Festival, the boat Regatta in Lagos and Yenogoa, the Olofin Festival in Idanre, Ondo state, Ojude Oba Festival, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, the Olojo Festival at Ile-Ife, the Osun Festival in Osogbo, Osun State, Lagos, Abuja, Calabar and Rivers carnivals. In spite of the benefits to the people and government through attraction of foreigners and locals to these events, there are deleterious consequences of tourism especially on human security which needs to be addressed. These include various environmental impacts on the event sites, people and surrounding areas, displacement of people and worshippers from such sites and lack of access to the economic resources such as water and land.The paper concludes that government should stimulate partnership with private individuals, groups and organizations in hosting such festivals to ensure sustainability and people’s access to derivable socio-economic benefits. Also, there should be adequate regulation and control by government agencies to ensure sustainable tourists usage of such carnivals and festivals for the overall developmental interest of the country.