Aare Abisoye Fagade, Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the occasion of his third anniversary in office, commending the administration’s bold economic reforms and strategic interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The NIHOTOUR Director-General particularly applauded the President’s commitment to unlocking the potential of non-oil sectors of the economy, noting that tourism, hospitality, travel and the creative economy remain critical pillars for sustainable economic diversification, employment generation and foreign exchange earnings.
According to Aare Fagade, the signing of the new NIHOTOUR Act, the renewed attention to tourism development, the strengthening of institutional frameworks, and the growing recognition of skills development within the sector demonstrate the administration’s understanding of tourism as a serious economic driver rather than merely a leisure activity.
He noted that the hospitality, tourism, and travel industry has the capacity to contribute significantly to national GDP, create millions of direct and indirect jobs, stimulate rural development, and attract substantial domestic and foreign investment if given deliberate policy support and strategic funding.
Aare Fagade further called for increased government investment in tourism infrastructure, destination development, skills acquisition, professional certification and industry regulation, stressing that the same intentionality that transformed Nigeria’s petroleum industry through sustained public investment and institutional support should now be extended to tourism.
“The tourism and hospitality industry is Nigeria’s next oil. However, unlike oil, tourism creates opportunities across communities, empowers small businesses, promotes cultural diplomacy and generates inclusive economic growth. With intentional funding, strategic investments and coordinated implementation, the sector can become one of the nation’s strongest revenue earners,” he stated.
He reaffirmed NIHOTOUR’s commitment to supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda through human capital development, professional regulation, skills certification, and the ongoing implementation of the Registration, Verification and Classification (RIVAC) platform, aimed at sanitising and professionalising the industry.
The Director-General expressed confidence that with continued presidential support, Nigeria’s tourism, hospitality and travel ecosystem will emerge as a globally competitive sector capable of contributing meaningfully to national prosperity and job creation.