Stakeholders in Nigeria’s hospitality, tourism and travel industry have reached a landmark consensus on the need for the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) to establish a National Hospitality and Tourism Integrity Register (Industry Black Book) to document individuals and organisations found culpable of fraud, professional misconduct, financial crimes and other unethical practices within the tourism and hospitality ecosystem.
The resolution was one of the key outcomes of the NIHOTOUR Stakeholder Engagement Forum held in Abuja on Wednesday 15th July 2026, where industry leaders, government agencies, academia, private sector operators, professional bodies and tourism practitioners deliberated on measures to strengthen professionalism, transparency and sustainable sectoral growth.
According to Professor Wasiu Babaalola, one of the Speakers at the Stakeholders Engagement, the proposed Industry Black Book is expected to address the integrity gap individuals and corporate organisations are currently complaining of, by providing an institutional framework for documenting disciplinary decisions and verified cases of professional misconduct in accordance with established legal procedures and the principles of natural justice. This is one of the critical roles of the Hospitality and Tourism Tribunal in ensuring the hospitality and tourism industry returns to its glorious years.
The proposed National Industry Black Book should be designed to serve as a central integrity and compliance mechanism that will support due diligence by employers, investors, regulators and industry operators while protecting the reputation of legitimate professionals and businesses.
Stakeholders observed that the rapid growth of Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry has unfortunately been accompanied by increasing cases of employee fraud, financial misconduct, diversion of company assets, procurement fraud, identity falsification, unethical business practices and other criminal activities that undermine investor confidence and damage the industry’s reputation.
According to participants, the absence of a coordinated industry-wide information system has enabled individuals dismissed or sanctioned for serious misconduct in one establishment to obtain employment elsewhere without disclosure, thereby exposing businesses to repeated financial losses and operational risks.
Stakeholders emphasised that inclusion in the register would only follow due process, including appropriate investigation, disciplinary proceedings and compliance with applicable laws governing employment, privacy and administrative justice. The initiative is intended not as a punitive instrument but as a professional accountability mechanism that promotes ethical conduct, protects businesses and enhances public trust in the sector.
The forum noted that similar integrity databases and professional disciplinary registers exist across several jurisdictions and professions worldwide. Financial services regulators, legal and medical professional bodies, securities markets, aviation authorities and hospitality employers in many countries maintain systems that prevent sanctioned individuals from repeatedly engaging in fraudulent practices across the industry.
Participants agreed that Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry should align with these international best practices to strengthen governance and improve its competitiveness within the global tourism marketplace.
The proposed framework is expected to support protection of hospitality and tourism investments, reduction in employee and operational fraud, improvement in industry-wide due diligence during recruitment, strengthening of professional ethics and accountability, protection of consumers and visitors, enhancement of confidence among domestic and foreign investors, and promotion of Nigeria as a safe, transparent and professionally regulated tourism destination, among others.
Stakeholders therefore recommended that NIHOTOUR, working in collaboration with industry associations, professional bodies, hotel owners, tourism operators, travel agencies, legal practitioners and relevant government institutions, develop comprehensive operational guidelines for the establishment and management of the Industry Black Book.
The Director-General of the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare Abisoye Fagade in his response, observed that a credible integrity management framework would significantly improve Nigeria’s attractiveness to domestic and international investors by reducing operational risks and demonstrating the sector’s commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible corporate governance.
He informed that a framework that will include clear criteria for listing and removal, appeal mechanisms, data protection safeguards, periodic review processes and independent oversight to ensure fairness, transparency and compliance with Nigerian laws would be developed and that stakeholders shall be carried along prior to its full implementation.
The forum concluded that strengthening integrity within the tourism and hospitality industry is fundamental to achieving sustainable growth, attracting quality investments and positioning Nigeria as a globally competitive tourism destination.
