The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, has directed the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) to immediately suspend all enforcement actions nationwide following recent incidents in Lagos State.
The minister gave the directive following the recent incident involving NIHOTOUR during its national enforcement exercise in Lagos State.
According to the report, during the institution’s scheduled compliance and standardisation exercise at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, NIHOTOUR officials arrested some hotel staff members and disrupted their operations over failure to register with the institute.
The minister stated that the decision to suspend the institution’s activities was to pave the way for a more inclusive, transparent, and consultative stakeholder engagement process, which she will personally lead in the coming weeks.
While reaffirming NIHOTOUR’s legal mandate to regulate standards, maintain a register of personnel, practitioners, and professionals, and ensure compliance across Nigeria’s hospitality, tourism, and travel sectors, the Minister called for calm and mutual understanding among all stakeholders.
“The industry must be driven by standards, but our approach must also reflect our shared humanity. Compliance must not come at the expense of dialogue,” she said.
A statement by the minister’s Special Adviser of Media & Publicity, Dr. Nneka Anibeze on Saturday, disclosed that a multi-stakeholder roundtable will be convened shortly to harmonize expectations, deepen collaboration, and reposition the industry for sustainable growth in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and also his compassionate approach of tempering justice with mercy .
“The ministry remains dedicated to strengthening dialogue and strategic partnerships with all sectoral stakeholders to build an ecosystem rooted in trust, innovation, and shared prosperity,” the statement said.
Musawa commended the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and other professional bodies for their steadfast commitment to advancing sectoral growth and cohesion.
She also reaffirmed her commitment to supporting NIHOTOUR in its ongoing transformation into a dynamic, responsible, and industry-aligned regulatory institution working collaboratively for national development.