Nihotour: The clipped tourism bill and lessons from there

The setting at the senate conference room 022, venue of public hearing on the bill to establish Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Thursday last week was very combative and full of fireworks. Indeed, the public debate on the bill would have become a boxing ring, to not only to knock out Chika Balogun, the Director-General of NIHOTOUR team but also teach some lessions to her team but for the wisdom of senate committee chairman on Culture and Tourism, Senator Matthew Urhorgide who cleverly deflated the tension.

Though the event started some three hours behind its 10am advertised take off, a situation that speaks volume of the character of elected representatives across board our various houses of assembly on issues of public good and expectations, the attendance of tourism practitioners and investors, however, portends clear and cheerful testimony that culture and tourism development in Nigeria needs more than a clear direction.

This position and reality clearly echoed by the senators, warehoused this government in a very tight corner to do the needful but again, the representative of the executive arm of government in charge of culture and tourism, Mr Lai Mohammad lost the golden opportunity to feel the pulse of the sector as he was nowhere around the red chambers of the national assembly.

In this outing, we are clearly set out to put on record the position of key speakers on the bill as they understand it but again to correctly state that the NIHOTOUR bill was not thrown out but its proposed sections on full and absolute regulation of the industry was thrown out, in other words, the contentious and toxic sections are to be fully expunged.

Clearly too, the chairman of the governing council of the Institute shall be in the person of any substantive Director General of Nigeria Tourism Corporation (NTDC) since the agency determines the training needs of the tourism sector apart from being the major plank for the restoration, direction and development of tourism sector in Nigeria.

This telling suggested provision which must not be swept under the carpet and to which the senate committee hopefully took note off, was canvassed by Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director-General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and to which all present affirmed with “hands raised up” (clapping of hands not allowed in the senate) as the bridge to offer effective leadership to the Institute in the future.

Again, one commends Chika Balogun for this initiative to get national tourism training needs rooted in proper legislative perspective thereby protecting NIHOTOURS assets and manpower. The Eight Senate under Saraki will also go down in history as the lubricants of tourism, turning all illegalities into legal frameworks, boosting confidence to appropriate and make tourism training budget a Catholic creed.

To all these fallouts, we report and marble the words of wisdom expressed at the NIHOTOUR bill public hearing for the records and as pool of lessons on the way forward since other agencies of tourism may need surgical operation to get their objectives right and in tandem with global best practices and national tourism aspirations.

EIGHT SENATE TO RIGHT TOURISM LAWS

“The Eight Senate under senate Bukola Saraki is determined to right tourism laws and give the industry the needed encouragement to thrive. This public hearing is evident of this noble position of the senate”.

Senate Philip Aduda

Representative of the Senate President

and Senate Minority Leader

• WE SHALL NOT SUPPORT ANY AGENCY OVER THE OTHER, BUT TO DEFINE OBJECTIVES.

It is clear that time has come to put every agency of tourism in their proper perspective to avoid clash of interests and objectives. In doing this, we take no side, so we must speak to the bill and address it. We agree that NIHOTOUR is a training Institute and not a regulatory body”.

Senator Matthew Urhorgide

Senate Committee Chairman on

Culture and Tourism

• STAKEHOLDERS INPUT LACKING

“We are here to listen to the stakeholders and am surprised both the ministry and practitioners made no input into the bill which ought have been the norm. Though, it is sad this never took place but it is not too late to correct the noticeable areas and get them expunged where necessary.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu

Member, committee on Tourism

and Chairman Senate Committee

on Ethics and Privileges.

• THIS BILL IS OVER REACHING AND MUST BE REDRAFTED

“I commend the committee for its determination to strengthen our tourism laws. The NIHOTOUR bill is however overreaching, overwhelming and encroaches on the right of other parastatals in my ministry. It will not achieve its purpose and needs to be reversed, and redrafted to operate as training Institute”.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

Minister of Culture and Tourism,

Represented by Paul Adalikwu, Director,

Ministry of Water Resources.

• WE MUST AFFIRM THAT NIHOTOUR IS A TRAINING INSTITUTE

“Training and capacity building is all we need to grow Nigerian tourism and also to encourage all west coast states to come to Nigeria for tourism training. The DG of NTDC must head the governing council of NIHOTOUR and it’s important to capture this position in the bill. Since we cannot clap our hands, can we all then raise our hands to appreciate the eight senate for this initiative?”.

Otunba Segun Runsewe

DG, NCAC

• WE MUST SITUATE THE OBJECTIVES OF KNOWN PARAMETERS

“We must be mindful of what really exists and update where necessary before initiating laws for the sector. Sections on regulation of the industry in the NIHOTOUR proposed bill is vexatious”.

Folarin Coker

DG, NTDC

• TOURISM TRAINING LAWS MUST BENEFIT NIGERIA YOUTHS

“International Labour Organisation (ILO) is interested to see the youth of Nigeria benefit from tourism training. This must be highlighted to grow Nigerian tourism development and the economy”.

Pius Udo

Representing ILO

• NIHOTOUR CANT TRAIN AND REGULATE

National Board for Technical Education supports this initiative but observes that NIHOTOUR can’t train and regulate at same time. It will affect quality and possibly questions certification.

NBTE

• IT IS IN CONFLICT WITH NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION (NUC) LAWS.

“It encroaches on NUC laws and cannot stand as proposed. NIHOTOUR should concern itself to professional training only.

Ibrahim Usman

Rep NUC

• NANTA HAVE TWO LEGGED POSITION ON AVIATION AND TOURISM, A CHALLENGE TO THE BILL

The businesses of operators under National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (Nanta) are abroad and far reaching. These posses a challenge to any bill that will encourage travel trade in Nigeria. We are regulated by Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and NTDC, therefore areas that conflicts with this known provisions, should be expunged.

Bankole Bernard

Nanta President

• THE REGULATORY PROPOSALS CANNOT STAND

We advise the senate committee not to hurry to pass this bill without proper assessment and endorsement from the private sector. There is the need to throw the effort back to practitioners for proper input and direction.

Nkereweum Onung

National Tour Operators

President and Chairman

Remlords Group

• NIHOTOUR REGULATORY PROPOSALS UNREASONABLE

“Nigerian Hotel and Catering Institute advises the committee on culture and tourism to take a second look at the proposed bill submitted to national assembly by NHCI since 2003 to serve as guide to the needs of the sector. NIHOTOUR proposals on regulation cannot stand as its sections 2, 3, 4, 5 conflicts with Parts 1 and 2. NHCI is a key to the birth of NIHOTOUR in 1983 and it’s strange for it to canvass to regulate activities of a professional body that was the mid-wife”.

Victor Kayode

Executive Secretary

NHCI

Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of TheCable.