An energetic atmosphere filled the Culture House in Uyo on Thursday as students from various secondary schools and tertiary institutions in Akwa Ibom State participated in the 2nd Edition of the Tourism Education Summit organised by the Passionate Young Leaders Initiative, a youth-focused non-profit organisation based in Uyo.
With the theme “Inspiring Young Tourism Stewards for Sustainable Tourism Practices,” the programme was designed to broaden the understanding of young minds in tourism and leadership while helping them develop communication, teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking skills.
Ememobong Anthony, a tourism advocate and promoter of the initiative, expressed her excitement for the programme, stating that it was a dream come true to spread tourism education in all nooks and crannies of Nigeria, starting with Akwa Ibom State.
“This programme is organised to make young people aware that the most neglected places in their villages are historic and could be tourism sites that people would pay pounds and dollars to visit,” she declared.
According to Ememobong, the programme was also packaged to instill cultural pride in the minds of young people, encouraging them to choose career paths related to tourism.
She added, “If I didn’t know that tourism is a lucrative profession, I wouldn’t choose it as a career. With this summit, we want our young tourism stewards to grow, learning from us and becoming the ambassadors we envision for the future.”
Some student participants who spoke to our correspondent, including Miss Zeal Nathaniel of Modern Training Institute, Uyo, and Enobong Friday Sampson of Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Four Towns, Uyo, acknowledged that the summit has ignited their interest in tourism and helped them recognise it as a noble profession that can significantly contribute to the nation’s economy.
Earlier in his address, one of the top organisers of the summit, Amb. Ubong Essien, noted that the success of the first edition of the programme showed that young people were eager to learn, lead, and contribute meaningfully to society when given the right platform and guidance.
Essien, who was represented by Mr. Amusan Victor, said the second edition would strengthen the vision, raising a generation of informed, responsible, and passionate young tourism stewards, as tourism remains one of the world’s most powerful tools for cultural preservation, economic development, youth empowerment, and national unity.
He stated, “Our heritage, traditions, arts, environment, and history are valuable treasures that must be protected and promoted sustainably. The responsibility of preserving these treasures does not belong only to governments or institutions; it belongs to every one of us, especially the younger generation.”
Also speaking, Prince Ambassador Ndanti Okuku, the President General of New Africa International, an NGO for young Africans, commended the Passionate Young Leaders Initiative for their efforts, stating that tourism education for youngsters would promote the right practices.
The programme also featured seminars, debates, panel discussions, cultural displays, essay competitions, and networking opportunities, all designed to inspire participants to become ambassadors of sustainable tourism and positive social change.
As part of its core mandate, the Passionate Young Leaders Initiative uses tourism as a tool to reach out to people in remote villages and advocates for child rights while working to prevent child sexual abuses.
