NIHOTOUR: Why Fagade ‘impressive’ professional bodies’ recognition committee’s report may be dead on arrival

The inauguration of the NIHOTOUR Committee on Tourism Professional Bodies’ Recognition came with all the right optics. Speeches were made, cameras flashed, and a robust Terms of Reference was rolled out. On the surface, it looks like the structural reset the industry has been waiting for. But if we are honest, there is a real danger that the entire exercise could be dead on arrival.

The first problem is that the committee has no legal teeth. Right now, recognition by NIHOTOUR is not mandatory for anyone to practice. NATOP can still issue its own tour operator licences. HMAN can still set its own hotel standards. Without an amendment to the NIHOTOUR Act that makes recognition a prerequisite for operating, the committee’s final list will be treated like just another press release. We have seen this before with councils that were inaugurated with fanfare and forgotten because the law never backed them.

Then, there is the politics. Nigeria’s tourism space is crowded with over 50 associations, and many of them exist only on WhatsApp and letterheads. The moment recognition becomes about “carrying everyone along” instead of merit, the credible bodies will walk away. If NATOP, HMAN, or FTAN feel the process has been hijacked, they will simply ignore the outcome and continue business as usual. Credibility dies the day politics enters the room.

Money is the third silent killer. A committee without a dedicated budget and secretariat cannot enforce anything. Who will fund the zonal sensitisation tours? Who will pay inspectors to go after quacks? Who will build and maintain a national register? NIHOTOUR is already underfunded. If this is not reflected in the 2027 budget, the report will end up on the same shelf as the last three tourism masterplans.

For the average operator, the question will be simple: what is in it for me? If recognition only means another certificate, another levy, and another trip to Abuja for training, SMEs and informal players will opt out. The roadside guide in Jos and the buka owner in Enugu will not pay for a paper that does not give them access to loans, jobs, or government contracts. We will end up with a compliant 10 percent and a resistant 90 percent working outside the system.

We also cannot ignore the turf wars. The big associations all want to be called the apex body. The moment the committee suggests a unified structure, the lobbying will begin. Counter press releases, back-channel calls to the ministry, and deliberate frustration of implementation. We have watched this play out in advertising and real estate, and tourism is not different.

Finally, there is the issue of speed. Government moves slowly. Six months for a report, nine months for a bill, two years in the National Assembly. By the time anything is passed, the industry would have changed. AI tour guides, Airbnb experiences, and TikTok-driven travel will have moved the goalposts. If there are no quick wins in the first 90 days, the industry will simply move on without government.

In short, this committee will fall into three traps if care is not taken. The Ceremony Trap, where inauguration is mistaken for achievement. The Paper Trap, where a beautiful report is produced with zero budget for implementation. And the Exclusion Trap, where only Abuja and Lagos big men are carried along while the informal sector that drives domestic tourism is ignored.

To save it, three things must happen immediately. The amendment bill should be drafted alongside the committee’s work, not after. Quick wins must be delivered within 90 days — launch the register, certify the first 1,000 professionals, and tie federal grants to recognition. And most importantly, industry must lead. Let FTAN and NATOP hold the pen. Government should regulate, not run.

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If these steps are not taken, then in 2027, we will be reading the same headline again: “FG inaugurates new committee to review tourism professional bodies.” And that would be a shame, because the opportunity to truly professionalize tourism is right here.