By Frank Meke
Recently, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared that the growing insecurity across the country is being fueled by political distractors and subversive elements masquerading as businessmen, religious leaders, sponsors of criminal networks, and opposition figures.
The President’s bold assertion that he is fully aware of coordinated attempts to destabilize his administration should concern every patriotic Nigerian committed to the unity and progress of the nation.
Like his famous “Emilokan” declaration years ago, President Tinubu’s confidence and directness signal that the government understands the depth of the threats confronting the country.
However, beyond politics, there is an urgent need to critically examine sectors that may unknowingly provide fertile ground for criminality and subversion. One of such vulnerable sectors is tourism and hospitality.
Unfortunately, because of its soft power appeal, cultural openness, and vast economic opportunities, the tourism industry has largely escaped the level of scrutiny now directed at other sectors of the economy.
Yet, the sector possesses enormous potential to either strengthen national development or become a dangerous platform for criminal networks and anti-state activities if left unchecked.
Today, Nigeria still lacks a comprehensive and verifiable database of hospitality operators, travel agencies, logistics firms, tour operators, and boat service providers.
What exists in many cases is a chaotic mix of genuine professionals, quacks, and half-baked operators posing as legitimate stakeholders while undermining efforts to align Nigeria’s tourism and creative economy with global standards and ethical practices.
Recent arrests by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have revealed how some hotels and hospitality facilities are being used as operational bases for illicit drug trafficking and, in some cases, as holding locations for kidnapped victims. Such criminal activities continue to tarnish Nigeria’s image both locally and internationally.
Similarly, security agencies frequently uncover syndicates operating under the guise of travel and immigration consultancy services.
Behind polished office spaces and professional signboards are criminal cartels involved in human trafficking, illegal migration schemes, and transnational organized crime.
Were the full extent of these revelations made public, many Nigerians would be shocked at the number of questionable operators hiding in plain sight within the tourism ecosystem.
The absence of a reliable operational register and professional data framework has made it increasingly difficult and expensive for security agencies to identify, monitor, and prosecute these subversive elements.
There are also growing concerns within the aviation sector, particularly among non-scheduled flight operators. Some private aviation operators have allegedly turned their operations into channels for moving unregistered cargo, suspicious persons, and illegal materials across the country.
Although the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has initiated efforts to profile and register private jet operators, much more needs to be done to sanitize that critical segment of the transport ecosystem.
On the inland waterways, the government, through the National Inland Waterways Authority, has intensified mandatory registration of boat operators, vessels, and jetties to curb smuggling and other criminal activities.
Illegal and unmanned jetties are increasingly being identified and shut down, while joint patrols involving the Navy, Marine Police, NDLEA, and the Nigeria Immigration Service continue to secure the nation’s waterways against criminal infiltration.
Likewise, the growing stop-and-search operations on highways across the country reflect the seriousness of the security threat posed by organized criminal networks exploiting Nigeria’s transportation and tourism corridors.
Another alarming dimension is the illegal exportation of Nigeria’s fauna and natural resources.
The Nigeria Customs Service has in recent years intercepted several illegal shipments involving endangered wildlife species and valuable natural resources.
Nigeria’s strategic location within West and Central Africa has unfortunately made the country a transit hub for criminal cartels dealing in illegal wildlife trade and resource smuggling. The activities of armed groups and non-state actors hiding in forests and remote areas have further worsened the situation.
To confront these challenges, President Tinubu’s administration has emphasized reforms across critical sectors of the economy.
While the aviation and maritime sectors are gradually embracing regulatory reforms, the tourism and hospitality industry continues to struggle with poor coordination, weak regulation, and a lack of credible data on operators and stakeholders.
This vacuum has encouraged the rise of fly-by-night operators and entrenched cartels determined to resist accountability, headcounts, and professional competence evaluations.
Historically, resistance to reforms has been one of the defining characteristics of entrenched interest groups within the sector. It was in response to these concerns that the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari strengthened the legal framework empowering the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism to regulate, standardize, and sanitize the industry through professional certification and proper registration of practitioners and hospitality establishments.
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Sadly, much of the misinformation and hostility directed at the regulatory reforms of NIHOTOUR appear to be orchestrated by operators who fear transparency and accountability.
Many of these individuals are uncomfortable with reforms because proper regulation could expose illicit activities ranging from tax evasion and illegal business practices to the operation of brothels and the facilitation of criminal networks under the cover of tourism and hospitality services.
The Inspector General of Police must therefore initiate a comprehensive investigation into the tourism and hospitality sector. Such an exercise should involve collaboration among the Police, Immigration Service, Customs, NDLEA, the Ministry of Justice, and NIHOTOUR to identify and eliminate criminal elements hiding within the industry.
Equally troubling is the proliferation of associations within the tourism sector. With more than twenty-three associations currently operating — many of them existing only on paper — there is an urgent need for the federal government to audit their activities, funding structures, operational leadership, and legal status.
Associations found to be inactive, compromised, or operating outside regulatory standards should be deregistered and stripped of any official recognition.
Government must also investigate the sources of funding sustaining many of these associations, as well as the identities and activities of their registered trustees.
The growing influence of questionable foreign investors and undocumented immigrants allegedly manipulating local actors to resist government reforms should worry every stakeholder committed to Nigeria’s development.
The tourism and hospitality sector is too strategic to national development to be left vulnerable to criminal infiltration and regulatory sabotage. If urgent reforms and audits are not carried out, the industry could become a major security flashpoint capable of undermining Nigeria’s social and economic stability.
