By Moses Okorie
The Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare Bisoye Fagade, Friday, paid a courtesy visit to the Director General CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, at the NIMC headquarters, Abuja. He was accompanied by members of his management team, as both agencies explored avenues for deeper collaboration.
In their discussions, the leadership of NIHOTOUR and NIMC emphasized the need for a strong institutional partnership to advance their respective mandates, particularly in strengthening national identity systems within the hospitality, travel, and tourism sectors.
According to a release issued in Abuja by Technical Advisor, Media & Communications to the DG/CEO NIMC, Ayodele Babalola, the proposed partnership seeks to integrate NIMC’s robust national identity database, comprising registered persons under the NIMC Act, into NIHOTOUR’s certification and registration processes for qualified practitioners across the sector as mandated by the NIHOTOUR Establishment Act.
This alignment is expected to enhance the credibility, traceability, and professionalization of the tourism and hospitality workforce, while also contributing to national security, service excellence, and data driven sectoral development.
Engr. (Dr.) Abisoye Coker-Odusote reaffirmed NIMC’s commitment to supporting institutions whose mandates rely on accurate identity verification, stressing that interoperability and secure data exchange are crucial for modern governance and economic advancement. She welcomed NIHOTOUR’s initiative and expressed optimism about the positive impact such collaboration would have on national development.
Are Abisoye Fagade equally noted that the partnership would not only strengthen NIHOTOUR’s institutional processes but also elevate standards across Nigerias growing hospitality and tourism landscape.