The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy announced on Monday the immediate suspension of all enforcement activities carried out by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism across the country.

The decision, approved by Minister Hannatu Musawa, followed a comprehensive review of recent NIHOTOUR enforcement operations and growing concerns expressed by stakeholders in the hospitality and tourism sector, according to a statement by Nneka Anibueze, Special Adviser to the Minister.

The Minister said the suspension is necessary to restore order, protect the rights of operators, and ensure that regulatory activities are conducted within the limits of the law and in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“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,” the minister stated.

The Ministry emphasized that it remains the supervising authority over NIHOTOUR, as established by law and reinforced by the Institute’s gazetted operational mandate. The Federal Government assured stakeholders that every regulatory action going forward will be grounded in law, professionalism and industry-wide consultation.

“A multi-stakeholder engagement will be convened to clarify grey areas in the NIHOTOUR Establishment Act and prevent future disruptions,” the statement added.

The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism is a federal agency created by the NIHOTOUR (Establishment) Act of 2022. Its official mandate is to set industry standards, maintain a register of hospitality workers, and ensure compliance across hotels, travel agencies and tourism operators. In practice, this means it can require hotels to register staff, issue certifications and, when necessary, carry out enforcement raids.

In June 2025, Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa ordered NIHOTOUR to halt all nationwide enforcement actions after a series of incidents in Lagos in which compliance teams, backed by police, stormed hotels, arrested staff and demanded registration fees. The Minister said the suspension was intended to “pave the way for a more inclusive, transparent and consultative stakeholder-engagement process” and promised a multi-stakeholder roundtable to resolve the confusion.

Prior to the suspension, industry groups such as the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria and the Nigeria Hotel Association argued that the NIHOTOUR Act overlaps with the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority, which they say already holds the legal power to register hotels. They also claimed the enforcement had been heavy-handed, leading to multiple arrests and even a Supreme Court reference regarding whether tourism regulation belongs to the states.

The Ministry’s suspension seeks to address these concerns while a broader review of the regulatory framework is undertaken. (The PUNCH)