*Urges NIHOTOUR, NTDA Acts Rework, Vows To Protect Operators
BY IFECHUKWUDE KAINEBI-DANIEL
THE Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has lamented that regulatory confusion from both the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Act 2022 and Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) Act, was crippling investment and threatening the survival of private tourism businesses in the country, urging the Federal Government to urgently review the two Acts.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at a press conference in Lagos to mark the first anniversary of the Badaki Aliyu leadership, under the theme, ‘Changing the Narrative: Tackling the Structural Challenges of Nigeria’s Tourism Industry Through the Tourism Transformation Mandate (TTM),’ FTAN said the Acts were doing more harm than good to the industry.
FTAN stated that the confusion and disagreement around the NIHOTOUR Act, 2022, was inherited from the previous administration, and implementation of the Act has fueled disputes and litigations between members of the regulatory authority, NIHOTOUR in particular.
“There are lots of litigations going on, especially with the involvement of fifth columnists among our members because of their private gains,” the communiqué read.
It recommended that the two Acts be sent back to the National Assembly for rework to clearly define the roles of the agencies and protect the interests of operators.
FTAN advised that in the interim, NIHOTOUR and NTDA should focus on their initial mandate while the process is going on, adding: “We call on the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, to fast-track this process as a matter of urgency and in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda for the nation.”
The call came amid growing frustration among tour operators, hoteliers, travel agents and training institutions, who said overlapping mandates between NTDA and NIHOTOUR have created policy inconsistency, multiple taxation and regulatory bottlenecks.
FTAN said the past year was not about jamboree, but diagnosing why Nigeria’s tourism sector has remained underdeveloped despite its potential, adding that the absence of a unified strategic direction, fragmented stakeholder engagement and weak institutional coordination have limited the private sector’s ability to influence policy and attract investment.
To address this, Aliyu said the current leadership developed and adopted the Tourism Transformation Mandate (TTM) as FTAN’s strategic blueprint, stressing that actions taken in the last 12 months include strengthening the FTAN Secretariat, institutionalising more inclusive engagement with member associations and setting plans to inaugurate zonal structures to empower state chapters in year two.
“We believe that meaningful transformation begins with acknowledging industry realities, mobilising stakeholders around shared priorities and taking deliberate actions that will outlive any single administration,” he said.
Aliyu said a major focus of the one-year report was FTAN’s renewed commitment to protecting members’ interests and business viability, noting that the Federation had rebuilt productive working relationships with the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, and strengthened collaboration with NTDA and other government agencies to ensure the private sector has a seat at the table.
On the investment front, FTAN announced that it has repositioned the Nigeria Tourism Investors Forum and Exhibition (NTIFE) as a broader regional platform and secured ECOWAS support to host the COPITOUR Executive Meeting in Abuja during NTIFE 2026, which Badaki described it as “an unprecedented platform for regional cooperation, investment promotion and cross-border tourism partnerships.”
He stated that FTAN had also restored institutional ties with the ECOWAS Commission and expanded engagement with regional tourism organisations as part of a wider push to restore Nigeria’s leadership in West African tourism.
He acknowledged that tourism still suffers poor visibility in the country, despite its contribution to diversification and employment, saying to counter this, the current leadership ramped up national media engagement, advocacy campaigns and stakeholder communication to improve public confidence in the sector.
Looking ahead, Aliyu said the association resolved to sustain engagement with federal and state governments, intensify advocacy for policy alignment and investment-friendly reforms, and continue building “a stronger, more united and more influential organised private tourism sector.”
