Former Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, has been appointed as the Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili.
The announcement of his appointment was made during the opening session of the 66th UNWTO Commission for Africa (CAF) in Mauritius.
This comes a month after Mohammed got appointed as the managing partner of the Nigerian branches of Ballard Partners, an international lobbying firm.
Expressing his gratitude for the appointment, Lai Mohammed stated, "I stand before you, deeply touched and inspired by your generous words of confidence and trust." He sees this as a historic moment, as it marks the first time he attends a UNWTO function as a private individual after serving as Nigeria's Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism.
As the Special Advisor on Tourism to the Secretary General, Lai Mohammed sees his new role as an opportunity to guide the development of tourism in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, with a focus on responsible and sustainable practices.
A backgrounnd
Lai Mohammed brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role, having played instrumental roles in the affairs of the world tourism body for the past seven years.
Notably, he led the organisation of the 61st UNWTO CAF Meetings in Nigeria in 2018 and the maiden UNWTO Global Conference on Linking Tourism, Culture, and Creative Industries in Lagos the following year. His experience is expected to aid Pololikashvili in pursuing his Agenda for Africa program, which aims to make Africa a key region for the global tourism economy.
What Lai Mohammed would be doing
The scope of his responsibilities as the Special Advisor covers several areas, including developing a strategy for restarting sustainable and safe tourism post-COVID-19 and providing advice on information and culture-related matters to the UNWTO Secretary General.
He is also tasked with preparing relevant reports and research documents in line with UNWTO's principles, accompanying and advising the Secretary General during his visits, and proposing actions of public relations in accordance with the world tourism body's priorities.