Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, Director General of National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), has declared that he is committed to making Tourism a sustainable business in Nigeria.
He made this known during a meeting with a section of the NIHOTOUR management team at their headquarters in Abuja during the week following his official resumption of duty as the DG of NIHOTOUR.
“We want to make Tourism a sustainable business in Nigeria by immediately increasing the training capacity of the Institute to international standards. Because, without hands-on training, people cannot successfully create and market competitive tourist products and destinations,” he said.
He also reserved special praise for Alhaji Kabiru Momoh who has been acting as the Director-General of the Institute before his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“You have indeed set a formidable template for me to work with. Hence, you and I shall work very closely together to improve the processes and operations of NIHOTOUR for the long term benefit of Nigeria’s Hospitality and Tourism sectors,” he said.
Speaking further, the new DG encouraged the entire staff and members of the Institute to support him, without fear or bias, in his drive to selflessly reposition the leading Hospitality and Tourism professionals’ training institution in Nigeria and West Africa.
“You may need to be assured that I work within the cherished principles of the United Nations of being non-sectional. As such, I am fully gender-blind, religion-blind, tribal-blind, and decidedly non-parochial in life and my work ethics. I have always been true to this principle in my previous appointments, both in the public and private sectors, and this time around I shall be much more so, “ he added.
Recall that on August 25th 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa as the substantive Director-General of NIHOTOUR. His appointment was announced by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a press release made available to newsmen in Abuja by Mr. Segun Adeyemi, the Special Assistant to the Minister.
Nura, a renowned Tourism technocrat in West Africa, hails from a royal family in Kebbi State, North-Western Nigeria. Before he was appointed DG NIHOTOUR, he held different positions in Nigeria’s tourism public and private sectors including the Vice-President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), North West Zone; and also, a Senior Special Assistant on ‘Tourism Matters’ to the Governor of Kebbi State – between 2016 – 2019.
His appointment as DG NIHOTOUR has been roundly received and celebrated by hospitality and tourism business owners, travel traders, and practitioners across Nigeria.