NATOP AGM: NIHOTOUR DG Fagade, Advocates For More Professionalism From Tour Operators

By Stella Okocha 

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Dr Absoye Fagade, has extended a heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators, NATOP at their landmark event.

He made this remark recently at the 10th Annual General Meetings and Conference of the association; celebrating the leadership and members of NATOP for sustaining a decade-long commitment of promoting professionalism, destination marketing, and excellence within Nigeria’s tourism ecosystem.

Fagade stated that the theme of the conference “Unlocking Nigeria’s tourism potential, strengthening Tour Operators for sustainable destination development” could not be more timely.

He pointed that the theme speaks directly to the aspiration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which recognizes tourism as a strategic pillar for economic diversification, job creation, youth empowerment, cultural preservation, and national prosperity.

According to the NIHOTOUR boss , “Our Tour Operators are not merely sellers of travel packages, they are architects of business experience. They connect destinations with markets, transform cultural and natural assets into economic opportunities, and serve as ambassadors of Nigeria’s image before the world. Without strong professional and globally competitive Tour Operators, destination development remains incomplete”.

Fagade highlighted that this is precisely why NIHOTOUR is undergoing a bold transformation from what it used to know to what we are becoming today, through the Renew Hope Agenda, and in line with the NIHOTOUR Establishment Act of 2002.

“We are repositioning the Institute from a traditional training institution into a national regulator and capacity development hub for hospitality, tourism, travel, and allied professions.

Our mission is very clear. To build a tourism workforce that is globally competitive, regionally certified, and ethically grounded. I mean, when I say ethically grounded, you agree with me that we have a lot of online Tour Operators that are not even recognized by NATOP.

“How do we regulate that? How do we monitor that? To say NATOP is just an association, the power is limited. And the power lies in the act for us to be able to empower you (NATOP) to regulate your industry. That is what NIHOTOUR is there to do” he stated.

He added that they are establishing national operational standards, strengthening its application system, promoting continuous professional development, and creating an industry where competence, quality, and professionalism become the defining standard, not expectation.

“This transformation cannot succeed without an organization like NATOP. And I say this closely. It cannot succeed without NATOP. As a proper interface between destinations and visitors, your members are critical partners in shaping the quality, credibility, and competitiveness of Nigeria’s tourism offerings. Together, we can develop a tourism industry that is trusted by investors.

“When I say investors, I don’t know how many of us have been able to raise money, a million dollars, being a Tour Operator. I’m not sure we have any. But when investors trust us, they can only trust you when there’s a standard and there’s a structure and there’s regulation”, Fagade added.

He went further to state that a well-regulated industry attracts investment, enhances destination reputation, protects consumers, creates sustainable growth for operators.

Citing an example of an innovation industry strictly run by the private sector, but still regulated is the same thing with communications. He added that the only way investors can trust us to give operators their money is when they know there’s going to be a penalty to those who default, which is respected by international markets and beneficial to local communities.

“At NIHOTOUR, we firmly believe that regulation is not designed to hinder your business. It’s designed to strengthen it. Standards do not break barriers, they create confidence. Professional certification does not limit opportunity, it expands it.

“The only reason why we have not been able to scale this up is because we have not been regulated. And our sector cannot be left behind. The future belongs to the destination that invests in its people as much as they invest in infrastructure. And you can see what Mr. President is already doing. He’s doing serious infrastructure in connecting Nigeria, connecting the north with the south, south with the east, east with the north”, Fagade explained.

He went further to state that “Nigeria is blessed with extraordinary natural attractions, vibrant culture, rich heritage, creative industries, and one of Africa’s largest domestic tourism markets. However, our greatest competitive advantage will not simply be what we possess. It will be how the personnel we package manage, market, and deliver those experiences.

“I just came back from China, and what I saw was amazing. These guys preserve their culture so much that an old building, they will decide not to purchase it. They will keep maintaining it, and they will keep it for the future. They have what we call a home share. We don’t have that in Nigeria, where these guys can actually stay in people’s homes. They call it home share in China”.

” Ladies and gentlemen, it is important we understand that what is in our hands in this country is not for us. We can structure ourselves, plan ourselves, arrange ourselves, and nobody is going to do that for us. Maybe we don’t understand that with what you guys do, we can reduce insecurity. With what you guys do, security in this country can be better by 20%”.

He emphasized that if operators take ownership of tourist sites in Nigeria, structure them in such a way that everybody in that area has something to do, they have something to protect, and they have something to die for, Nobody will take to crime.

“This is why NIHOTOUR remains committed to working hand-in-hand with NATOP and other agencies that are willing, through capacity-building, policy dialogue, certification, research, innovation, instant transformation, and destination development initiatives that will raise industry standards across the country as we move forward. I encourage every Tour operator to embrace professionalism, innovation, stability, and collaboration.

“Let us build an industry where every Nigerian destination tells a compelling story, every visitor enjoys an exceptional experience, and every community benefits from tourism. Together, we can transform tourism into one of Nigeria’s strongest engines of inclusive economic growth and national development. I commend NATOP on a significant milestone and assure you that NIHOTOUR will remain your partner in progress, committed to building a tourism industry that reflects the vision of Renewable Agenda, a position Nigeria has advertised as the premier tourism destination.