NIHOTOUR Honours Tinubu With Highest Tourism Award As President Backs Sector Reforms

By Stella Okocha

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been conferred with the Grand Fellow of National Hospitality and Tourism, GFNHT, the highest singular honour in Nigeria’s tourism sector.

The honour was presented to the President in Abuja on October 22, 2026, by the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, NIHOTOUR, Aare Abisoye Fagade.

Fagade, who briefed President Tinubu on ongoing reforms in the tourism, hospitality and travel sector, said the reforms focus on professional standards, skills development and full implementation of the NIHOTOUR Act 2022 to strengthen service quality, accountability and competitiveness.

President Tinubu, during the meeting, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting growth of tourism and hospitality industry as driver of economic diversification, job creation, investment and enterprise development.

Speaking after the engagement, Fagade said tourism must be recognised not merely as leisure and recreation, but as an economic sector capable of creating opportunities and contributing meaningfully to national prosperity.

“Our responsibility is to build the professional and institutional foundations that will enable Nigeria’s tourism potential to translate into jobs, investment and sustainable economic growth. The President’s continued support is important to advancing these reforms and positioning the sector for greater national impact,” he said.

He noted that NIHOTOUR’s reforms are designed to improve industry standards, strengthen professional competence and establish credible regulatory environment where businesses can thrive and investment can grow.

The engagement aligns with objectives of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly economic diversification, employment generation and development of productive non-oil sectors.

NIHOTOUR reaffirmed commitment to working with government and private sector stakeholders to build a more professional, competitive and globally recognised tourism industry that delivers lasting value to Nigerians.