By Seun Ibiyemi
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality sector have called for the adoption of a hybrid governance framework that combines statutory regulation with professional recognition to strengthen workforce development and enhance the industry’s global competitiveness.
The recommendation was made at the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Stakeholder Engagement Forum held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, where academics, industry practitioners, professional bodies and regulators examined strategies for improving professional standards and human capital development in the sector.
Speaking at the forum, the Director-General of NIHOTOUR, Aare Abisoye Fagade, stressed the need for stronger collaboration among government agencies, academia and private sector operators to build a globally competitive workforce.
The proposal was presented by Professor Wasiu Babalola, Professor of Hotel Management and Tourism at Atiba University, Oyo, legal practitioner and PhD candidate at the Faculty of Law, Lead City University, Ibadan. His keynote paper, titled “Strategic Roles of Industry Associations and Professional Bodies in Workforce Registration, Certification, Licensing and Sustainable Human Capital Development,” drew from his ongoing doctoral research on professional recognition and governance within Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry.
Professor Babalola argued that while the NIHOTOUR Act 2022 marked a major step towards the professionalisation of the sector, legislation alone could not guarantee long-term institutional stability.
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According to him, sustainable growth requires cooperation between statutory regulators and recognised professional bodies operating within clearly defined responsibilities.
He identified fragmented regulation, overlapping institutional mandates, inconsistent certification systems, weak professional identity and inadequate workforce data as some of the challenges confronting the industry.
Drawing lessons from established professions such as law, medicine, engineering, architecture and accounting, Babalola noted that successful professional systems thrive when government agencies set minimum standards while professional bodies oversee ethics, competency development, continuing education and peer recognition.
A key aspect of the proposal is the introduction of a Hybrid Professional Governance Structure under the Professional Recognition by Professional Practice (PRPP) framework.
Under the model, professional associations would be formally recognised under the NIHOTOUR Act to handle continuing professional development, ethical oversight and specialised training, while NIHOTOUR would retain responsibility for certification, licensing, regulation and workforce registration.
The proposed roadmap includes the recognition of credible professional bodies through the PRPP framework, the development of standard operating procedures, expansion of a national digital tourism workforce register, competency-based certification programmes and mandatory continuing professional development.
The framework also advocates stronger collaboration among industry operators, educational institutions and government agencies, as well as alignment with global best practices in tourism workforce development.
According to Babalola, Section 4 of the NIHOTOUR Act already provides sufficient legal backing for collaboration between the institute and professional bodies in areas such as training, certification and capacity building, supporting a partnership-driven approach rather than institutional rivalry.
Participants at the forum welcomed the proposal, describing it as a practical mechanism for improving institutional coordination, reducing duplication of responsibilities and raising workforce standards across the tourism and hospitality industry.
Stakeholders further urged NIHOTOUR to sustain consultations on the initiative to develop a model that enjoys broad acceptance across the sector.
Concluding his presentation, Professor Babalola stated that the professionalisation of the industry would be more effective when statutory institutions and professional bodies work in partnership rather than competition.
He also commended the Faculty of Law at Lead City University, Ibadan, for providing the academic environment that supported his doctoral research, noting that the institution’s commitment to research excellence continues to bridge the gap between academia and industry.
