The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has called for the review and re-enactment of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Act and the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) Act, saying ambiguities in both laws have triggered disputes, regulatory overlaps and litigation within the tourism sector.
The association made the call in a communiqué issued during a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference formed part of activities marking the first anniversary of the current FTAN administration led by its President, Dr Aliyu Badaki.
The event was held under the theme, “Changing the Narrative: Tackling the Structural Challenges of Nigeria’s Tourism Industry Through the Tourism Transformation Mandate (TTM).”
According to the communiqué, FTAN is seeking the return of both Acts to the National Assembly for fresh legislation that will clearly define the responsibilities of regulators and private sector operators.
“The position of FTAN is that both the Acts of NTDA and NIHOTOUR should be returned to the National Assembly for re-enactment that will clearly define the roles of the agencies and stakeholders.
“In the meantime, the agencies should focus on their original mandates while the legislative process is ongoing.
“FTAN remains open to constructive engagement and dialogue in resolving the issues surrounding the Acts,” the communiqué stated.
The association also urged the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy to fast-track action on the proposed legislation, noting that the reforms align with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
FTAN identified poor coordination, weak stakeholder engagement, inconsistent government policies and limited collaboration between the public and private sectors as major obstacles to investment and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s tourism industry.
It said its current leadership had adopted the Tourism Transformation Mandate (TTM) as a strategic roadmap for reform, while strengthening the association’s secretariat, rebuilding relationships with government agencies and expanding engagement with member associations.
The communiqué further highlighted efforts to strengthen regional cooperation, noting that FTAN had restored institutional ties with the ECOWAS Commission and deepened collaboration with the Confederation of Private Sector Organisations of Tourism (COPITOUR) in ECOWAS.
It added that the association had secured support to host the COPITOUR Executive Meeting in Abuja during the 2026 Nigeria Tourism Investors Forum and Exhibition (NTIFE).
According to FTAN, the event has been repositioned as a regional investment platform designed to attract investors, development partners, state governments and tourism businesses from across the tourism value chain.
The association reaffirmed its commitment to the Tourism Transformation Mandate, pledging to intensify advocacy for policy reforms, strengthen partnerships and position tourism as a major driver of economic diversification, job creation, enterprise development and foreign direct investment.
NAN reports that concerns over overlapping regulatory powers have continued to generate controversy around the NIHOTOUR and NTDA Acts, both of which were signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari on February 14, 2022.
Under the NTDA Act, the authority is responsible for tourism development, destination promotion, and the registration and classification of tourism enterprises. However, the law also empowers the agency to operate commercially as a tour operator, convention bureau and consultancy service, creating concerns that it competes directly with the businesses it regulates.
Similarly, the NIHOTOUR Act expanded the institute’s traditional training mandate to include the licensing and registration of tourism, hospitality and travel practitioners, as well as the enforcement of professional standards.
Industry stakeholders argue that the expanded responsibilities overlap with those of the NTDA, particularly regarding the registration of hotels, creating uncertainty over which agency has legal authority to regulate key aspects of the industry.
The overlapping mandates have also raised concerns about multiple registrations, duplicated regulatory functions and increased compliance costs for tourism operators.
The controversy intensified after NIHOTOUR began enforcement operations, including police-backed compliance raids on hotels, prompting the Federal Government to suspend all such operations nationwide in November 2025 pending a review of the Act.
Source:NAN
