In a monumental step towards entrenching the Federal Government’s vision for an integrated travel and tourism economy, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, and the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN), have signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing a robust framework for collaboration on manpower development, certification and capacity building across the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, directly answering the presidential call for synergy between the aviation and tourism sectors.
The strategic partnership formally entered into by the two institutions will leverage the combined expertise of NCAT, Africa’s foremost aviation training hub, and ITPN, the leading body for tourism professional certification, to address critical skill gaps within the industry, with core content of the pact focusing on strengthening curriculum development, accreditation, assessment and quality assurance to enhance professional competence in line with global best practices.
Disclosing this to newsmen in Abuja, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, National President of ITPN said the collaboration is designed to create credible certification and licensing pathways for practitioners, that ensures a pipeline of highly skilled professionals ready to meet the dynamic demands of Nigeria’s growing aviation and tourism markets.
Chief Odusanwo further stressed that the relevance of this partnership to the industry cannot be overstated, noting that the symbiotic relationship between the two sectors, where tourism fuels demand for air travel and aviation enables seamless access to tourism destinations made it mandatory for both sectors to cohabit and work together as a team.
In his remarks during the MoU signing, Dr. Danjuma Adamu Isma’ila, FITPN Rector of NCAT Zaria, maintained that harmonising training standards and fostering knowledge exchange between aviation and tourism professionals, will elevate service delivery, improve passenger experiences and stimulate economic growth, thereby creating thousands of jobs and increasing tourism’s contribution to the national GDP.
Industry keen observers noted that the MoU is in line to effectively implement the mandate from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has consistently advocated for synergy between the tourism and aviation sectors as part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President has stressed that aviation remains a critical driver for national growth, and that an integrated approach with the tourism sector is essential for unlocking Nigeria’s vast economic potential.
The MoU also directly aligns with the directive for the relevant ministries and agencies as well as the organized private sector to work together in improving travel experiences, as highlighted by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Barr. Festus Keyamo, who noted that “Aviation is the wing upon which tourism flies”.
The pact further amplifies the ongoing advocacy by the Aviation Minister of championing the collaboration for stronger ties between aviation and tourism as key drivers of national development, of which Barr. Keyamo has consistently described the sectors as interdependent, stating that “without aviation, there is really no tourism, and without tourism, a substantial part of aviation loses its commercial appeal”.
This MoU, involving ITPN and NCAT, provides the tactical execution for the strategic visions of Mr. President and the Ministers of Aviation and Tourism, fostering a united effort to professionalize the workforce across the aviation and tourism value chains.
By cultivating a robust pipeline of skilled professionals, the NCAT-ITPN partnership will drive innovation, encourage knowledge exchange and support the sustainable development of both sectors.
It also marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s pursuit of an integrated economic model, setting a new standard for professionalism and collaboration in the African travel and tourism industry.
While the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, is Africa’s foremost aviation training institution, providing world-class education for pilots, engineers and other aviation professionals, the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria is the premier professional body responsible for certification, accreditation and quality assurance in Nigeria’s Tourism and Aviation sector.
