The Managing Partner of PUNUKA Attorneys & Solicitors, Mrs Elizabeth Idigbe, has said that while Nigeria’s hospitality sector presents significant opportunities for investment, tourism development and job creation, it also raises critical issues relating to regulation, financing, infrastructure, and the legal frameworks required to sustain long-term growth.
  
Speaking ahead of the 2026 edition of the PUNUKA Annual Lecture scheduled for June 11 in Lagos, Idigbe said the event would provide a platform for stakeholders to examine the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the industry.
  
According to her, the hospitality sector is becoming increasingly important to Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda and requires deliberate policy, regulatory and legal support to unlock its full potential.
  
“The theme has been carefully selected in recognition of the increasingly strategic role of the hospitality sector within Nigeria’s evolving economic landscape.
  
“As the country intensifies its focus on diversification and sustainable growth, the sector presents significant opportunities for investment, tourism development, enterprise expansion and job creation.
  
At the same time, it raises critical questions regarding regulation, financing, infrastructure and the legal frameworks necessary to support long-term competitiveness,” she stated. 
  
The yearly lecture, organised by PUNUKA Attorneys & Solicitors, will be held at the PAS World Centre, Lekki, Lagos, from 11 a.m. on June 11.
  
The theme of this year’s lecture is “Development, Financing, and Value Creation in Nigeria’s Hospitality Sector.”
  
Leading business executives, policymakers, regulators, legal practitioners and academics are expected to attend the event, which has become a notable platform for discussions on issues at the intersection of law, business, governance and economic development.
  
The guest lecturer is Ian McAuley, an international hotel developer and Executive Director of JAM Asset Management Limited. 
  
McAuley has worked with several global hospitality brands, including Hilton, Marriott, Wyndham, Hyatt and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
  
Partner and Head of the Annual Lecture Committee, Adeyinka Abdulsalam, described the event as one of the firm’s flagship initiatives aimed at promoting informed discourse on matters of national importance.
  
He said the lecture has evolved into a respected forum for high-level engagement among regulators, government officials, business leaders, senior practitioners and academics.
  
“The lecture will provide a robust platform for interrogating these issues and advancing practical, forward-looking perspectives on the future of the sector,” Abdulsalam said.
  
PUNUKA Attorneys & Solicitors, a full-service law firm known for its legal advisory services and contributions to policy and institutional development, said it expects strong participation from stakeholders across both the public and private sectors.