Creative Industry

We Trains To Address Skill Gap And Unemployment In The Industry- NIHOTOUR

Published

5 years ago

July 19, 2021

Joel Ajayi

The Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa has stated that the recent spate of trainings undertaken by the Institute nationwide is to address the skill gaps inherent in the nation’s Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry in the face of unemployment bedeviling the sector.

Alhaji Kangiwa who stated this in an address read on his behalf by the Director, Department of General Studies, Dr. Taiwo Famogbiyele at the Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Training Program for Women in Hair Braiding, Fixing and Styling organized by the South West Zonal Campus of the Institute in Lagos further noted that empowering women will provide them the opportunities for self-employment and thus fight poverty and hunger in the country.

He said that as part of the mandate of the Institute, it will continue to engage the vulnerable category of Nigerian youths and women in the provision of skills that will make them both employable and self-employed, stating that with the Institute’s Campuses now present in the Six-Geo Political Zones of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, its trainings are now more than ever before easily accessible and available at the doorsteps of every deserving Nigerian Youth to be skillfully empowered.

In a Goodwill message to the event, Pharm Uzamat Akinbile Yussuf, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture represented by Mrs. Ada Oni, Director of Tourism Promotion in the State Ministry, promised continued support of the state government to NIHOTOUR in its efforts at empowering women and youths in the state to be useful and functional members of the society.

Also speaking at the occasion, Amb. Nneka Issac-Moses of Goge Africa who applauded the initiative of NIHOTOUR to empower women via skill acquisition said the economic value associated with skillful manpower product is unquantifiable and the import, beyond local boundary, urging beneficiaries of the training to make judicious and best use of skills and knowledge they have acquired.

Earlier in her brief remark at the occasion, the Coordinator and Head of the South West Zonal Campus of NIHOTOUR-Lagos, Mrs. Chinyere Uche-Ibeabuchi said with the competent and dedicated staff, and committed leadership that the Institute is currently blessed and endowed with, provision of high-level skill training to enhance the quality of manpower needs of the Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry in the country is highly guaranteed and assured.

She expressed the appreciation of the Zonal Campus of the Institute for the support it is enjoying from industry key players and stakeholders in all activities of the Institute even at short notice, stating that this level of cooperation is what is desired beyond anything to move the industry forward.

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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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