GLOBALLY, travel and tourism are powerful engines of economic growth, generating $10 trillion in revenue in 2023 alone. The United States led with $2.36 trillion in earnings, while France welcomed a record 100 million international visitors, according to Statista.
For Nigeria, these figures are both inspiring and challenging. Despite being Africa’s most populous country, tourism contributed just 3.6 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP, about $17.3 billion, in 2021 and 2022. This was an improvement from 2.8 per cent in 2020 and just shy of the 4.5 per cent recorded in 2019, before the global pandemic.
The sector employs 1.91 million people annually, yet Nigeria still lags behind smaller African countries like The Gambia, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Mauritius in tourism export income. This gap can, and should, be closed.
Nigeria’s tourism assets are substantial. The country hosts more than 1,000 annual festivals and is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites—the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove and the Sukur Cultural Landscape. Fourteen additional sites are on UNESCO’s tentative list, highlighting Nigeria’s rich cultural and natural heritage. Yet, these resources remain largely underdeveloped.
Recognising the need for economic diversification, the National Assembly and former President Muhammadu Buhari enacted the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Act in 2022. Buhari signed the law in early 2023, shortly before leaving office.
The Act’s Section 1 outlines NIHOTOUR’s mission: to educate, train, certify, and register professionals in hospitality, travel, and tourism; to equip industry practitioners for evolving demands; to maximise tourism’s economic benefits; and to develop a skilled workforce for Nigeria, Africa, and beyond. NIHOTOUR is also tasked with maintaining an official register of certified professionals in the sector.
President Bola Tinubu has renewed focus on this law, appointing Abisoye Fagade as NIHOTOUR’s Director-General in November 2024. Under Fagade, the agency has stepped up enforcement, though not without controversy.
In June, a major Lagos hotel resisted NIHOTOUR’s inspection, resulting in injuries to both an agency official and a hotel employee. Such incidents harm Nigeria’s reputation, just as it seeks to attract more international visitors.
To prevent further confrontations, NIHOTOUR should emphasise civil enforcement, especially litigation, while launching awareness and sensitisation campaigns for industry stakeholders. Building consensus is essential for compliance and sector growth.
Tourism can provide Nigeria with much-needed revenue, but legislation alone is not enough. Notably, Section 2 of the Act centralises regulatory authority at the federal level. Amending the law to devolve some powers to state and local governments would allow for more responsive and effective oversight.
Security remains the sector’s Achilles’ heel. Persistent insecurity—from insurgency in the North-East to banditry and kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central—makes travel risky and deters both domestic and international tourists.
Even iconic sites like the Sukur World Heritage Site and Lake Chad National Park are affected by unrest. Without improved security, tourism’s potential will remain stunted.
Nigeria’s youth are a major asset. Seventy per cent of the population is under 30, and in 2023, travellers aged 18 to 35 accounted for 65 per cent of domestic trips. Youth-led tourism startups have grown by 150 per cent in three years, and social media engagement with travel content has surged by 300 per cent since 2021.
Harnessing this energy and digital expertise is crucial for the sector’s transformation. The hype around the “Detty December” phenomenon is gaining traction within the Nigerian Diaspora is indicative of future possibilities.
To unlock Nigeria’s tourism potential, the government must prioritise security and infrastructure upgrades, foster public-private partnerships and community-based tourism, and accelerate efforts to secure UNESCO certification for the 14 sites on the tentative list. Integrating tourism into educational curricula will help build the sector’s future capacity.
With the right strategies, Nigeria can elevate its tourism industry, drive economic growth, and achieve global recognition.
Culled: Punch
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