The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has matriculated 500 students.
Speaking at the matriculation ceremony on Saturday, the Director-General of the institute, Nura Sani Kangiwa, urged the students to be obedient to constituted authorities of the institute and remain law abiding with strict adherence of the tenets of the institute.
Kangiwa addressed the eight campuses across the country via Zoom streaming.
According to him, the students should see themselves lucky in coming to NIHOTOUR for career proficiency and development in the Nigerian travel, tourism and hospitality industry.
Spokesman of the institute, Ahmed Mohammed Sule, in a statement quoted Kangiwa as saying that the Institute has since inception been offering robust course programs for personnel in the Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry of the country.
He assured the matriculating students of the support of the institute in ensuring that the students attain both their personal and organizational goals in the upgrade of their professional competence and status for better service delivery in their work places within the industry.
Kangiwa represented by the Director, Research and Development/General Studies of the institute, Dr. Taiwo Famogbiyele, reiterated the resolve of NIHOTOUR to produce skilled, motivated and well-equipped graduates that will be instrumental and involved in bringing about the desired change of filling the skill-gap in the industry and ensure better quality service delivery in line with global best practices.
Also, guest lecturer at the occasion and National President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung, called for the reinforcement and job assurances in the labour market as well as within the operations of the industry by government and employers.
He said that this is to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry resulting in job losses and dwindling of businesses of stakeholders and investors.
He commended NIHOTOUR for continuously engaging operators and professional practitioners in the industry for better service delivery through training and re-training.
He noted that without the requisite skilled manpower, better quality service delivery as needed by customers and tourists in the industry will be a mere mirage.
The Matriculation Ceremony which was attended by stakeholders in the industry, government functionaries, staff and students of the institute, has a total 500 sudents for the 2020/2021 academic year across the nine campuses of the Institute in Abuja, Enugu, Bauchi, Lagos, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Oshogbo and Kano.
