President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the growth of Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry following a meeting with the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare Abisoye Fagade, FNHT, FRPA, FIMC.
During the meeting, Aare 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 President Tinubu with the Grand Fellow of National Hospitality and Tourism (GFNHT), the highest singular honour in Nigeria’s tourism sector, conferred by NIHOTOUR.
The President’s pledge of continued support underscores the importance of tourism as a driver of economic diversification, job creation, investment and enterprise development.
Speaking on the significance of the meeting, Aare Fagade said tourism must be recognised not merely 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 are designed to strengthen professional competence, improve industry standards and establish a credible regulatory environment in which businesses can thrive and investment can grow.
“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,” Fagade said.
The engagement aligns with the objectives of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly economic diversification, employment generation and the development of productive non-oil sectors.
NIHOTOUR reaffirmed its commitment to working with government and private-sector stakeholders to build a more professional, competitive and globally recognised tourism industry that delivers lasting value to Nigerians.
