By ODIGIE OKPATAKU

The Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has pledged a comprehensive review of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) Act 2022 and the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Act 2022.

She said the ministry would critically examine both laws, along with submissions from stakeholders, to produce a framework that benefits government and the private sector. If necessary, Musawa added, the ministry would not hesitate to return the Acts to the National Assembly for amendment.

“We will convene a wider stakeholder forum to present a final position on the two Acts. Where review and harmonisation are required, the ministry will act decisively,” she assured.

At the forum, industry stakeholders highlighted major overlaps and contradictions in the Acts, warning that if left unaddressed, they could stall growth in Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality sector.

Representing NTDA, Ovie Richard Esewhaye, Director overseeing the DG’s office, stressed that NIHOTOUR must remain focused on human capital development and not drift into regulatory functions. He called for a joint NTDA–NIHOTOUR Memorandum of Understanding to clearly define agency roles, alongside a technical committee to guide industry players.

Esewhaye also urged NIHOTOUR to revise its regulations, website content, and fees to reduce duplication, avoid overburdening the private sector, and align with national economic goals.

The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), representing 23 private sector groups, tasked Musawa to lead a broader realignment of all tourism-related laws.

FTAN President, Dr. Aliyu Ajayi Badaki, warned that the NTDA Act 2022 empowers the authority to compete directly with the private sector by operating as a tour operator and regulator simultaneously. He also faulted provisions introducing hotel levies, describing them as “multiple taxation” already struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013.

Badaki stressed that NTDA should focus on policy formulation, destination marketing, investment facilitation, and creating an enabling environment—not commercial ventures.

On the NIHOTOUR Act 2022, FTAN expressed alarm that the institute was vested with powers to register, regulate and even sanction professionals already certified by universities and other accredited institutions. Badaki described this as “an aberration” that blurs the line between academia and regulation, calling for those provisions to be expunged.

FTAN recommended that NIHOTOUR concentrate strictly on workforce and vocational training, citing models like ASCON, the Law School and NIPSS. It also urged the ministry to drive a leaner, technology-driven training approach rather than multiple campuses.

The federation emphasised that both Acts skipped mandatory public hearings before passage, calling the process flawed. It advised harmonisation of roles to end duplication and foster structured government, private sector engagement.

Badaki concluded that Nigeria’s tourism potential, spanning GDP contribution, job creation and national branding can only be realised through a clear, coherent institutional framework.

“Government must empower, not stifle, the private sector. With the right alignment, tourism can become a key driver of Nigeria’s renewed hope agenda,” he said.