By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, NIHOTOUR, Nura Sani Kangiwa has charged the 500 newly matriculating students of the institute to be obedient to constituted authorities and to remain law abiding with strict adherence of the tenets of the Institute.
This was contained in a press release signed by Director Media and Public Relations of NIHOTOUR, Ahmed Mohammed Sule, made available to Daybreak today.
In the statement Kangiwa gave this charge during the Matriculation Ceremony of Students of the Institute for the 2020/2021 Academic Session in Abuja and other eight campuses across the country via Zoom streaming, said the students should see themselves lucky in coming to NIHOTOUR for career proficiency and development in the Nigerian Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry.
The Director General who was represented by Director, Research and Development/ General Studies of the Institute, Dr. Taiwo Famigbiyele noted that the Institute has since inception been offering robust Course Programs for personnel in the Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry of the country, 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.
The DG also reiterated the institutes commitment to turn out 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.
The Guest lecturer of the occasion Mr. Nkereuwem Onung and National President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria , FTAN, called for the reinforcement and job assurances in the labour market as well as within the operations of the industry by government and employers to mitigate the negative impacts and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry which has resulted in job losses and dwindling of businesses of stakeholders and investors.
Onung applauded the efforts of NIHOTOUR for continuously engaging operators and professional practitioners in the industry for better service delivery through training and re-training, noting that without the requisite skilled manpower, better quality service delivery as needed by customers and tourists in the industry will be a mere mirage.
He emphazied the socio-economic importance of the Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry in enhancing the country’s GDP as well as job creation and employment provision opportunities for the teeming youths in the country.
According to the statement the Matriculation Ceremony which was attended by stakeholders in the industry, Government functionaries, staff and students of the Institute, has a total of Five Hundred Students for the 2020/2021 Academic Year across the Nine Campuses of the Institute namely, Abuja, Enugu, Bauchi, Lagos, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Oshogbo and Kano.
