Culture and Tourism

Kangiwa Takes Over At NIHOTOUR, Pledges To Deliver On Institute’s Mandate

Published

6 years ago

September 2, 2020

Joel Ajayi

The newly appointed Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa has promised to ensure that capacity building required positioning the Nigerian tourism and hospitality sector for better growth of the industry as the preferred revenue-generating sector ahead of oil remains his hallmark as Chief Executive Officer of the Institute.

Alhaji Kangiwa who made the promise at the Institute’s headquarters during a brief ceremony that signaled his assumption of office following his appointment last week by the Federal Government as Director-General of the Institute said the erroneous public’s perception of tourism as a mere leisure activity should be changed for the better as tourism is serious business.

He said however to achieve the desired growth in the tourism industry, a skilled and professional manpower base is needed, which is the primary mandate for which NIHOTOUR was established, noting that he will work assiduously to ensure that the Institute delivers on its core mandate during his tenure.

Kangiwa, then solicited for the support and cooperation of the Management, staff, and students of the Institute to achieve his mission of taking NIHOTOUR to greater heights in hospitality and tourism skill acquisition and manpower training, adding that the support and cooperation will also be required of critical stakeholders of the industry for the good of the sector.

Earlier in his remarks, the outgoing Director Overseeing the Institute, Dr. Momoh A M Kabir, who has been on an acting capacity following the expiration of the tenure of the former Director-General in 2018, congratulated the new Director-General over his appointment and pledged the full support of the Management and staff of the Institute to enable him to achieve greater success during his tenure.

He said while during his short tenure he tried assiduously to record remarkable successes, the Institute is not without some teething challenges but which he believes are not insurmountable by the new Director-General, stating that these include the struggle to get the Bill for the Institute passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by the President; the dwindling financial fortunes of the Institute due to lean allocation of funds and the need for the Institute to have a befitting office and training accommodation of its own in Abuja, headquarters of the multi-campus Institute.

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Culture and Tourism

Awakan Marks First Anniversary as NTDA DG, Charts New Course for Tourism Sector

Published

1 week ago

September 24, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

As the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) enters its second year under the leadership of the Director-General, Mr. Ola Awakan, the focus will remain on building partnerships and converting Nigeria’s tourism assets into greater opportunities for investment and accelerated economic growth.

That simple message framed the one year scorecard presented on Wednesday by Mr. Awakan during NTDA Tourism Week 2026 and activities leading to World Tourism Day held in Abuja.

“Nigeria does not lack tourism assets,” Awakan said. “What is required is a system that connects these assets to investments, jobs, technology, enterprise and sustainable economic value.” He added.

Reeling out his scorecard, Awakan observed that over the past year, the Authority concentrated on stakeholder engagement, innovation, investment facilitation, digital transformation, destination marketing, tourism intelligence and institution building.

He explained that efforts have been made towards deeper collaboration with government institutions, traditional institutions, private-sector operators, development partners, financial institutions, professional bodies, communities and international partners.

On the digital front, the NTDA boss said the Authority has advanced NITOUREY, a dedicated tourism streaming platform and content ecosystem meant to take Nigerian destinations, culture and experiences to wider audiences, in alignment with this year’s World Tourism Day theme, “Digital agenda and artificial intelligence to redesign Tourism”.

He also identified Naija Flavour as a flagship project to position Nigerian cuisine as both a tourism asset and a tool for cultural diplomacy, linking tourism to Nollywood, music, fashion, food, festivals and digital creativity.

Speaking further, Awakan reiterated that the NTDA is also digitising tourism enterprise accreditation and regulatory processes while developing a grassroots tourism framework to identify, document and promote assets across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

Internationally, NTDA has expanded ties with tourism institutions, diplomatic missions, development partners and global organisations on technical cooperation, investment, destination marketing, capacity building, cultural diplomacy and market access.

The NTDA helmsman however recognised that challenges remain such as infrastructure gaps, weak tourism data, limited connectivity to some destinations, security concerns in certain locations, regulatory compliance shortfalls and the need for stronger private-sector participation.

Awakan remained positive looking ahead with his priorities including the mobilisation of more tourism investment, accelerating the development of viable assets, expanding domestic and international marketing through deeper digital transformation, strengthening regulation, increasing community participation, building capacity of tourism professionals and deepening partnerships with international tourism institutions.

The DG also announced plans for the expanded Naija Flavour International Tourism Expo to be unveiled in Abuja later this year making it the ultimate platform aimed at drawing international participation, investors and development partners into the sector.

While thanking President Bola Tinubu GCFR for giving him the opportunity to serve, he added that, “One year in office is not the destination. It is a checkpoint,” reiterating that the next phase would require stronger partnerships, greater investment and sustained institutional commitment.

Earlier, the Director of Marketing and Promotion of NTDA Mr. Olufemi Akinyele, said the milestone was being marked as part of NTDA Tourism Week, which began with a road walk and a guided tour of Abuja under the theme “Digital Vibes, Nigerian Pride: Celebrating Tourism, Culture and People.”

Government and industry representatives at the event congratulated the Director General and commended the Authority’s increased engagement with tourism stakeholders.

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