Janefrances Chibuzor
The Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has assured stakeholders in the Nigerian tourism sector that the Ministry will conduct a thorough review of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) Act 2022 and the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Act 2022 to ensure they serve the interest of both government and the private sector.
Musawa, who spoke at a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, said the Ministry would carefully study the provisions of the two Acts alongside position papers submitted by industry players, with a view to producing a framework that strengthens the sector. She stressed that if necessary, the Ministry would not hesitate to take the Acts back to the National Assembly for amendment.
“We are determined to sit down and look at these Acts critically. If it becomes necessary, we will take them back to the National Assembly to ensure that what we finally have is something truly beneficial to government and to the private sector,” the Minister said. She added that a wider forum of stakeholders will soon be convened to present a final position on the Acts.
Her assurance comes at a time when the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), the umbrella body for the 23 private sector tourism associations, is pressing for urgent reforms. FTAN President, Dr Aliyu Badaki, commended the government for recognising the need to strengthen the operational and institutional framework of the industry but warned that without a careful realignment of the NTDA and NIHOTOUR Acts, the sector risked duplication of roles, conflicts with state governments, and the stifling of private enterprise.
Badaki, who presented a detailed position paper at the meeting, said the NTDA Act 2022 empowers the Authority to regulate tourism activities while also functioning as a commercial operator. He described this as a direct conflict with the private sector, noting that provisions that empower NTDA to operate as a tour operator, convention bureau, and consultancy outfit put it in unfair competition with industry practitioners.
He further raised concerns over the introduction of a new one per cent hotel room levy and other charges, which he said would lead to multiple taxation. He recalled that the 2013 Supreme Court judgment on residual and exclusive list declarations already settled disputes between the Federal Government and states over hotel and tourism taxation. “This levy will only reopen old conflicts, and we must avoid disruptive clashes by addressing this provision immediately,” he said.
The FTAN President also described provisions on the Tourism Development Fund as vague and ambiguous. He urged that the NTDA Act be refocused on policy formulation, destination marketing, product development, investment facilitation, and creating an enabling environment for business, rather than venturing into commercial activities that should be left to the private sector or structured under Public-Private Partnerships.
On the NIHOTOUR Act 2022, Badaki warned against its attempt to function simultaneously as a training institution and a regulatory certification body. He described this as “a conflict of appropriating and reprobating self at the same time,” stressing that compulsory registration and recertification of professionals who already graduated from accredited universities and polytechnics was an aberration. He said it was never heard of in civilised societies for an academic institution to criminalise practitioners, establish tribunals, and impose punitive measures.
“The provision of the NIHOTOUR Act to make an academic institution compulsorily register practitioners and far more qualified professionals for recertification is never a reasonable provision,” Badaki said, adding that such functions should remain the duty of professional associations, not academic institutions. He cited professional models such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers, stressing that NIHOTOUR must remain strictly focused on manpower and vocational training for the industry.
Badaki also faulted the legislative process that produced both Acts, noting that neither underwent the compulsory public hearing before they were passed and assented to by the former President. He argued that this lapse denied industry players the opportunity to harmonise positions and prevent duplication.
FTAN therefore recommended that all conflicting areas in both Acts, including provisions on regulation, certification, and professional registration, be removed without delay to prevent tension between government agencies, state authorities, and private operators. The Federation also called for strong representation of private sector operators on the NTDA board and urged the Ministry to encourage regular structured engagement between government agencies and FTAN to harmonise positions.
Echoing the concerns, the Director overseeing the Office of the Director-General of NTDA, Mr Ovie Richard Esewhaye, said the primary objective should be to ensure NIHOTOUR’s mandate is strictly applied to human capital development without usurping the functions of other agencies. He warned against creating unnecessary burdens on the private sector through bureaucracy, multiple levies, and duplicated functions.
Esewhaye called for the reworking of the proposed NIHOTOUR Regulations 2025 to reflect its true mandate of capacity development rather than regulatory oversight. He further recommended the drafting of a joint NTDA-NIHOTOUR memorandum of understanding to clearly define roles, establish data-sharing protocols, and prevent overlaps. According to him, a technical committee should be formed to articulate regulatory functions of each agency and provide clarity for all stakeholders.
He also called for a downward review of NIHOTOUR’s fees and charges to align with industry realities, and urged the Institute to immediately update its website and public communications to remove any misleading references to regulatory powers.
The growing consensus at the stakeholders’ forum is that the Nigerian tourism industry, which has the potential to contribute significantly to the country’s GDP, job creation, and international image, cannot thrive under an ambiguous and conflicting legal framework. Rather, it requires clarity, collaboration, and synergy between government and the private sector.
Badaki reaffirmed FTAN’s commitment to cooperate with government in building a vibrant and globally competitive tourism sector. “The Ministry and its agencies must strive to empower rather than stifle the private sector. Only then can the industry realise its immense potential to contribute significantly to national development,” he said.
With Musawa’s assurance of a thorough review and the private sector’s insistence on realignment, the stage appears set for a long-overdue reset of Nigeria’s tourism laws.
