The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has inaugurated a National Committee on Industry Professional Bodies Recognition and Governance as part of a far-reaching reform programme aimed at strengthening professionalism, institutional governance and stakeholder collaboration across Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry.
The committee was inaugurated at the Institute’s headquarters in Abuja by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NIHOTOUR, Aare Abisoye Fagade, who described the initiative as a strategic milestone in building a more credible, accountable and globally competitive hospitality sector.
Fagade said the committee would develop a comprehensive national framework for the recognition, regulation and collaboration of professional bodies operating within the hospitality, tourism, travel and allied sectors.
He noted that the industry is home to numerous professional associations, making it necessary to establish a unified governance framework capable of promoting transparency, professionalism, ethical conduct and institutional accountability.
According to him, stronger institutions remain the foundation of every successful profession, stressing that the committee has been entrusted with the responsibility of laying a credible governance structure that will command national acceptance and international respect.
The NIHOTOUR boss explained that the assignment aligns with the provisions of the NIHOTOUR Establishment Act, 2022, which empowers the Institute to regulate standards, promote professional development and strengthen institutional capacity within Nigeria’s tourism ecosystem.
He said the committee has been given three months to submit practical recommendations that will shape the future governance architecture of professional bodies in the sector.
Its terms of reference include developing objective criteria for recognising professional associations, recommending governance and accountability standards, proposing ethical guidelines, strengthening collaboration with government institutions and eliminating areas of institutional overlap.
The committee is also expected to recommend strategies for improving coordination among industry organisations while preserving their individual mandates and enhancing investor confidence and global competitiveness.
Fagade emphasised that the initiative is not designed to restrict the activities of legitimate professional organisations but to establish standards that promote excellence, integrity and public trust across the industry.
He urged members of the committee to discharge their responsibilities with fairness, professionalism and patriotism, adding that their recommendations must be inclusive, legally sound and capable of delivering lasting institutional reforms.
Chairman of the committee, Professor Wasiu A. Babalola, Esq., thanked the NIHOTOUR management for the confidence reposed in the members and pledged that the assignment would be carried out with integrity, objectivity and transparency.
Babalola said the committee would engage extensively with practitioners, regulators, investors, academics and professional associations to ensure its recommendations reflect global best practices while addressing Nigeria’s unique industry realities.
The committee comprises respected professionals representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, including Dr. Muhammad Nasir Yusuf, Suleiman A. Ahmad, Dr. Elizabeth Babagale, Mr. Aniyikaye Adebayo Samuel, Mr. Bashir Abiodun Bello, Ms. Ajibola Olubiyi and Mrs. Uloma Egbuona, bringing together broad regional representation and industry expertise.
The inauguration forms part of NIHOTOUR’s broader reform agenda to deepen professional standards, improve institutional governance, enhance quality assurance and position Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry as a stronger driver of economic diversification, investment, employment generation and sustainable national development under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.