Bauchi — THE Federal Government is to support the development of the nation's tourism cites as part of efforts to reposition the agricultural and tourism sectors.

The Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Senator Bello Jibrin Gada, disclosed this in Bauchi yesterday shortly after undertaking an inspection to Yankari Game Reserve.

He said: "The Federal Government would accord tourism the necessary impetus it deserves so that it would add to the country's main source of revenue as currently obtains in countries such as South Africa, Egypt and Morocco, which depend solely on the sector."

The Minister, who described the economic meltdown as a blessing in disguise, argued that the crash in the world financial market had gingered government at all levels to explore other sources of revenue to reduce its total dependence on revenue accruing from oil.

Senator Bello recalled the positive impact of both agriculture and tourism to the nation's development before the discovery of oil and regretted that the