NHCI slams NIHOTOUR for Lagos hotel crackdown, calls Tinubu to stop what it terms an illegal act defying court rulings and professional conduct

The Nigerian Hotel and Catering Institute (NHCI) has criticised the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) over what it described as an unprofessional and unlawful clampdown on hotel operators in Lagos.

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The action, which included arrests and disruption of business activities, was linked to an enforcement campaign on hotel registration.

In a statement signed by its President and Chairman of Council, Victor Ola Kayode, the NHCI called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene by directing the NIHOTOUR Director-General, Dr Abisoye Fagade, to halt what the institute described as a farcical and unconstitutional exercise.

The NHCI referenced a 2013 Supreme Court ruling and a subsequent decision by a Lagos Magistrate’s Court in a case instituted by the Hotels Owners and Managers Association of Lagos (HOMAL), challenging the legality of the NIHOTOUR Act of 2022.

We viewed these actions as highly unprofessional for an organisation that claims to regulate hospitality and tourism practice in Nigeria.

The body argued that the institute’s actions not only ignored these rulings but also misused federal authority to intimidate legitimate private stakeholders.

“We viewed these actions as highly unprofessional for an organisation that claims to regulate hospitality and tourism practice in Nigeria,” said Kayode.

“It is even more inappropriate to see such a body using the instrumentality of government to compel industry players to comply with directives that have been legally nullified.”

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The NHCI reaffirmed its commitment to upholding lawful and professional standards in Nigeria’s hospitality sector and urged all regulatory efforts to respect judicial precedents and constitutional boundaries.