The United States’ (USA) security notice on November 3 cautioning against travelling to Nigeria was met with alarm by the Federal Government on Monday. They noted that the alert undercut investment and caused panic.
During a meeting with editors in Abuja, Muhammad Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, stated that the Federal Government has always placed a high priority on the security and welfare of all foreign visitors.
Citing security concerns aimed at the hotels in the major cities, the US had advised its people living in Nigeria to stay away from the country’s big hotels.
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The USA warned its people to be cautious while visiting large hotels, pay attention to their surroundings, maintain a low profile, and read the travel advisory for Nigeria before booking any hotel.
Responding to the advisory, the information minister cautioned the US authorities against generalising isolated security incidents across the entire hospitality industry.
He went further to reel out the various security operations carried out by the security agencies in their quest to ensure public safety.
Idris stated, ‘’We understand the concerns raised by the United States government in their recent travel advisory, but believe that it is imperative that we do not generalize isolated incidents across the entire hospitality industry.
“What we have seen is that such advisories do not achieve anything other than needless panic, and they can have a severe adverse economic impact, not to talk of what they do to undermine the government’s efforts to attract investment.
‘’We have consistently prioritised the safety and well-being of all visitors to our country. We have implemented comprehensive security measures, both at the Federal and State levels, to ensure the safety of tourists and international guests.
‘’These measures include intense intelligence gathering, acquisition, and deployment of additional platforms, training, and re-training of personnel, cooperation with international law enforcement agencies, among others, to maintain a secure environment.’’
