FG Suspend NIHOTOUR Activities For Whole Country

Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and di Creative Economy don announce say all National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) enforcement activities don suspend nationwide. Di decision wey Minister Hannatu Musawa approve follow review of di recent NIHOTOUR operations and complaints wey hospitality and tourism stakeholders don raise, according to statement by Nneka Anibueze, Special Adviser to di Minister. Minister talk say di suspension dey necessary to restore order, protect rights of operators, and make sure say regulatory activities dey done inside law and according to President Bola Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda. “Ministry don notice say plenti complaints dey about NIHOTOUR recent compliance actions. We dey committed to maintain stable, transparent, and business-friendly tourism environment. Until full policy and operational review finish, all NIHOTOUR enforcement activities dey suspended for whole country,” di Minister talk. Ministry still confirm say e remain supervising authority over NIHOTOUR and say every regulatory action wey dem go take go forward go dey grounded for law, professionalism, and industry consultation.

NIHOTOUR na federal agency wey di NIHOTOUR (Establishment) Act 2022 create, and e get mandate to set industry standards, maintain hospitality worker register, and make sure hotels, travel agencies, and tourism operators dey comply. For practice, dis mean say dem fit require hotels to register staff, issue certifications, and when necessary, carry out enforcement raids. For June 2025, Minister Hannatu Musawa don already order NIHOTOUR to halt nationwide enforcement after incidents for Lagos wey compliance teams with police storm hotels, arrest staff, and demand registration fees. Ministry talk say suspension go make way for inclusive, transparent, and consultative stakeholder-engagement process with multi-stakeholder roundtable to clear confusion. Before di suspension, industry groups like Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria and Nigeria Hotel Association don complain say NIHOTOUR Act dey overlap with Nigeria Tourism Development Authority wey already get legal power to register hotels, and say enforcement dey heavy-handed, even cause Supreme Court reference. Di Ministry suspension dey aim to address dis wahala as dem dey review di whole regulatory framework.