NIMC, NIHOTOUR Partner to Professionalise Hospitality Sector.
By Raymond Enoch
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) are set to deepen institutional collaboration in a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s national identity system and raise professional standards across the hospitality and tourism value chain.
According to a press statement signed by Ayodele Babalola, anipr, Technical Advisor, Media & Communications to the DG/CEO, NIMC, this followed a courtesy visit on Thursday by the Director General of NIHOTOUR, Aare Bisoye Fagade, to the NIMC Director General/Chief Executive Officer, Engr. (Dr.) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, where both agencies explored concrete areas of partnership.
During the meeting, the two chief executives underscored the importance of a strong, coordinated framework linking national identity management with the operations of the hospitality, travel and tourism sectors. They agreed that such synergy is essential not only for sectoral growth, but also for national security and effective economic planning.
A core feature of the proposed collaboration is the integration of NIMC’s national identity database—comprising registered persons under the NIMC Act—into NIHOTOUR’s certification and registration processes for qualified practitioners in the industry, as mandated by the NIHOTOUR Establishment Act.
This alignment is expected to boost the credibility and traceability of hospitality and tourism professionals, enhance the professionalisation of the workforce, and support data-driven policy formulation for the sector. It will also promote service excellence while tightening safeguards around identity verification for operators and workers.
Engr. (Dr.) Coker-Odusote reaffirmed NIMC’s readiness to support institutions whose mandates depend on accurate and secure identity authentication. She stressed that interoperability and secure data exchange are central to modern governance and economic advancement, and welcomed NIHOTOUR’s initiative as a step that would positively impact national development.
On his part, Aare Fagade noted that the partnership would not only strengthen NIHOTOUR’s institutional processes but also help elevate standards across Nigeria’s growing hospitality and tourism landscape, making the sector more competitive and globally aligned.
Both agencies agreed to set up a joint technical working group to design an implementation framework, paving the way for a more secure, integrated and professional hospitality and tourism ecosystem in Nigeria.
