The Federal Government has ordered the immediate suspension of all enforcement operations conducted by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) across the country.
The directive, approved by the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, follows a comprehensive review of NIHOTOUR’s recent compliance activities and rising concerns from operators in the hospitality and tourism sector. The announcement was contained in a statement issued by Nneka Anibueze, Special Adviser to the Minister.
Musawa said the suspension was necessary to restore order, protect the rights of businesses, and ensure that regulatory actions are carried out strictly within the law and in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The Ministry has taken note of widespread complaints regarding NIHOTOUR’s recent compliance actions. We are committed to maintaining a stable, transparent and business-friendly tourism environment. Until a full policy and operational review is completed, all NIHOTOUR enforcement activities are hereby suspended nationwide,”
— Minister Hannatu Musawa
The Ministry reiterated that it is the statutory supervising authority over NIHOTOUR and assured industry stakeholders that all future regulatory actions would be grounded in law, professionalism, and broad consultation.
A multi-stakeholder engagement will soon be convened to address ambiguities in the NIHOTOUR Establishment Act and prevent further disruptions in the industry.
NIHOTOUR, established under the 2022 Act, is mandated to set hospitality standards, maintain a register of industry workers, certify practitioners, and enforce compliance across hotels, travel agencies and tourism operations. However, recent enforcement operations — especially those involving police-backed raids on hotels — sparked widespread backlash.
Industry groups, including the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and the Nigeria Hotel Association (NHA), have long argued that NIHOTOUR’s mandate overlaps with the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), which they claim is the rightful agency for hotel registration. Some incidents also raised constitutional concerns about whether tourism regulation falls under federal or state jurisdiction.
With this suspension, the Federal Government aims to calm tensions and undertake a broader review of Nigeria’s tourism regulatory framework
