In a bid to strengthen regulatory oversight and improve data on businesses and service providers in the Culture and Tourism Industry, the Ogun state Ministry of Culture has called stakeholders on the importance of registration and insurance compliance.

          The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Oluwasesan Fagbayi, made this known at a quarterly stakeholders’ meeting at the Cinema Hall, June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, saying it was imperative to sensitise stakeholders on the benefits inherent in proper registration for policy making, data gathering as well as insurance compliance for future development.

The Commissioner said the meeting would help stakeholders to register with their respective associations and with the online platform of the Ministry called OPLAT as well as to enables the Ministry to maintain accurate records and to act as a primary point of contact for other regulatory bodies such as tax authorities, environmental agencies, trade and investment offices and local authorities.

He pledged efficient internal processing, promising certificates within 24 hours of verified payment where possible but warned that inaccurate or false submissions would slow approvals and could attract fines, encouraging literate association members to assist less literate colleagues with online registration and to continue educating their colleagues on the benefits of formal registration and adequate insurance coverage of their businesses.

Hon Fagbayi added that the Ministry had been engaging with counterpart agencies and advocating for a coordinated, transparent framework to reduce duplication and ease the compliance burden on businesses, assuring that registered members would gain increased accountability and institutional support in the event of dispute and inspections.

In his opening remarks, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Quudus Yusuff, described the meeting as interactive, encouraging stakeholder questions, contributions and feedback to shape future policies also acknowledges the leadership of each association in fostering collaboration within the culture and tourism ministry, urging active participation and collective effort towards a sustainable sector.

Dr. Yusuff emphasised the need for insurance coverage to protect association businesses and investments, urging active stakeholder participation in shaping future policies.

Earlier, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs. Olubukola Samuel, said the meeting was a strategic dialogue between the government and stakeholders that would form a backbone for the sector, saying that stakeholders were expected to share ideas and strengthen partnerships necessary for sustainable development.

Speaking on behalf of the Insurance Companies present at the meeting, Mr. Babatunde Oyewole, Capital Insurance said the industry was moving towards a more transparent and accountable systems, ensuring that consumer money was protected and returns guaranteed, emphasising the need for consumers to read and understanding policy documents thoroughly to know their right and what was covered under the insurance policies.

Contributing, President of Nigerian Association of a Tour Operators (NATOP), Mr. Anago Osho and Director of Tourism and Programmes XTRALARGE Farm, Mr. Babashola Ajayi, commended the Ministry on the introduction of the Online Platform, calling for more robust avenue which would allow stakeholders to communicate their problems and moving beyond feedback.