Creative Industry

FTAN Leads Solidarity Visit To Nura Kangiwa, NIHOTOUR DG

Published

6 years ago

October 8, 2020

Joel Ajayi

The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), has thrown its weight behind Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa, the new Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) to cooperate and support him in actualizing his vision and mission to reposition the Institute for better training and service delivery of manpower and capacity building of the tourism industry.

Alhaji Rabo Kareem, National President of FTAN who pledged the support during a courtesy visit on Alhaji Kangiwa in his office, Abuja, along with some key officials of the Association said they took the decision to give the new Director-General their maximum support in view of his passion and enormous contributions to the growth and development of the industry.

He said as a key player in the nation’s tourism industry at various times and levels both in the past and present, Kangiwa was most deserving of the appointment, noting that he has no doubt in his ability to deliver on the core mandate of NIHOTOUR.

Also speaking during the visit, the National President of the Institute of Tourism Professionals of Nigerian (ITPN), Chief Abiodun Odusanwo reiterated the importance of training and retraining in moving the Nigeria tourism industry to greater heights, the responsibility which he said lies solely on NIHOTOUR as the nation’s apex tourism and hospitality industry.

He urged the new NIHOTOUR Chief Executive Officer to ensure high-quality training of personnel that conforms with international standards so as to achieve better service delivery in the industry in line with global best practice.

The President of the Hotel Owners Forum of Abuja (HOFA), Chief Ezeude promised to mobilize members of his forum to imbibe the culture of training of personnel in the Abuja hotel industry as doing so will mean improved and better service delivery of the hospitality sector.

Others who spoke at the occasion include the President of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria HATMAN, Mr. Samson Aturu, and the Vice President of FTAN, South West Zone, Chief Ayo Olumuko who all extol the virtues of Kangiwa as a trusted and avid tourism professional who will make the industry stakeholders proud by putting in his very best to actualize the core mandate of the Institute for the greater and general good of the industry in particular and the country at large.

In his response, Kangiwa expressed his delight with the visit, promising not to let them down in ensuring that the trust reposed in him for the appointment was a rightfully placed decision.

He noted that training and professional enhancement and competence are key to the success of a vibrant tourism industry, adding that NIHOTOUR under his watch is poised to ensure quality training for all cadres of professionals in the hospitality and travel-tourism industry and urged stakeholders, particularly in the organized private sector to patronize courses and programs offered by the Institute for training and upgrade of professional practice and competence of their staff.

The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) is the umbrella body of all tourism associations in Nigeria with a membership of 23 associations and unions operating in the Organized Private Sector of the Nigerian Tourism and Hospitality industry of which Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa was its Vice President for the North West Zone 2017 to 2019

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Creative Industry

FG Backs MyCityApp Launch of 100-Day Tourism Calendar to Drive $100bn Economic Growth

Published

2 weeks ago

September 15, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind the launch of MyCityApp, a Nigerian city discovery and tourism platform designed to aggregate festivals, concerts, cultural events and lifestyle experiences into a single digital calendar.

The platform, which flags off the 100-Day Tourism Calendar, was unveiled on Monday at the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders’ Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos, with the initiative targeting Nigeria’s estimated $100 billion tourism and creative economy opportunity.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Media and Publicity Adviser to the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the ministry said the conference was aimed at mobilising public and private stakeholders to transform the September-to-December festive period into jobs, investment and economic growth.

Speaking at the unveiling, the Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said millions of visitors travel across Nigeria every year to celebrate, reconnect and experience the country’s diverse culture, stressing that the festive season could be deliberately organised and monetised to strengthen tourism’s contribution to the economy.

“This initiative is about moving beyond the traditional concept of a festive season. It is about deliberately organising, packaging, promoting, and monetising one of the most economically active periods in our national calendar,” Musawa said.

She noted that every visitor generates economic activity across several sectors, including aviation, transportation, hospitality, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology, artisans and local communities.

The Minister commended MyCityApp Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Ifeoma Chukwu, for her vision and commitment to the initiative.

She urged state governments, event organisers, tourism operators, hospitality businesses and other stakeholders to list their festivals, concerts, exhibitions, food experiences, cultural celebrations, fashion and sporting events on the national calendar.

Musawa said the platform would enable Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover tourism and entertainment experiences across the country from a single, credible source.

Earlier, Chukwu said Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and creative sector provided enormous opportunities for tourism-driven economic growth.

She cited the contributions of tourism to the economies of countries such as Spain, France and the United States, arguing that Nigeria could equally build a $100 billion tourism economy.

Also present were Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka; Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugochi Madueke; NCAC Director-General, Obi Asika; National Gallery of Art Director-General, Ahmed Sodangi; ARCON Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo; and MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr Karl Toriola.

MyLagosApp and MyCityApp will serve as the digital engines of the calendar, distributing events through a 360-degree media ecosystem to audiences in Nigeria and the diaspora.

Stakeholders were encouraged to upload their events on MyCityApp to participate in the national tourism calendar urging them to upload events on http://www.MyCityApp.io.

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