Get Guardian on GooglePresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the growth of Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry.
The President gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja during a meeting with the Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Abisoye Fagade.
A statement by the Special Adviser, Communication Strategy, NIHOTOUR, Dr Boye Longe, said that during the meeting, Fagade briefed the President on ongoing reforms across the tourism, hospitality and travel sector, focusing on professional standards, skills development and the implementation of the NIHOTOUR Act 2022 to strengthen service quality, accountability and industry competitiveness.
As part of the engagement, the NIHOTOUR Director-General presented Tinubu with the Grand Fellow of National Hospitality and Tourism (GFNHT), the highest singular honour in Nigeria’s tourism sector, conferred by NIHOTOUR.
Speaking on the significance of the meeting, Fagade said tourism must be recognised not just as leisure and recreation, but as an economic sector capable of creating opportunities for Nigerians and contributing meaningfully to national prosperity.
He noted that NIHOTOUR’s reforms were designed to strengthen professional competence, improve industry standards and establish a credible regulatory environment in which businesses can thrive and investment can grow.
He said: “Our responsibility is to build the professional and institutional foundations that will enable Nigeria’s tourism potential to translate into jobs, investment and sustainable economic growth.
“The President’s continued support is important to advancing these reforms and positioning the sector for greater national impact.”
The engagement, he said aligned with the objectives of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly economic diversification, employment generation and the development of productive non-oil sectors.
