The Federal Ministry of Tourism has announced its readiness to coach and empower community women in the manufacture of souvenirs.

The report was contained in a press statement by the Public Relations Officer, National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism, NIHOTOUR), Josef Karim, in Abuja on Sunday.

The statement noted that the empowerment program known as ‘EcoGenesis Incubator’ is for coaching and empowering women and youths who are house owners in Nigeria’s tourism host communities across the six regions of the country.

Part of the statement read: "The aim is to offer a vigorous platform that will induce transformation and drive economic empowerment by assisting the contributors to advance, articulate, and clarify their skills and tourism products.

This will also lift the majority out of scarcity by utilizing the plentiful tourism opportunities inherent in our communities across the country".

The first series of the ‘EcoGenesis Incubator’ programme will be the coaching and empowering of women on tourism souvenirs production, especially in jewelry making and rhinestone beautification. It is organized to be held in Makurdi, Benue State capital on 14th and 15th March, 2024. 

On completion, the trainees will be given tourism entrepreneurial starter-packs to permit them to begin their personal jewelry making and rhinestone beautification businesses targeting visitors and tourists in Benue State.

The Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Lola Ade-John, who, on International Women’s Day last week, urged women to seize opportunities in the tourism economy to boost their status, revealed that The EcoGenesis Incubator is a tailored Nigerian tourism enterprise development program designed specifically for women and youth residing in the heart of tourist host communities.