Abisoye Fagade, director-general, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), has reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to implementing the NIHOTOUR Act, saying that the reforms are aimed at professionalising Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry rather than targeting operators.
Speaking during an interactive session with members of the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET) in Lagos, Fagade said that the institute’s ongoing reforms were laying the foundation for a more structured, globally competitive industry built on professional standards, continuous training and effective regulation.
He identified the establishment of Nigeria’s first national register of tourism and hospitality professionals as one of the institute’s most significant achievements since the Act came into force, describing it as a major step towards sanitising the sector.
“Tourism now has a register. Whether we have 76 people on it, or 25 people on it, we have a register. And every other person that is not on that list of registers is a quack,” he said.
According to him, the register fulfils a statutory responsibility placed on the institute by the Act and provides a framework for recognising qualified professionals while strengthening public confidence in the industry.
