The Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa has promised to ensure that capacity building required to position the Nigerian tourism and hospitality sector for better growth of the industry as the preferred revenue generating sector ahead of oil remains his hallmark as Chief Executive Officer of the Institute.

Ahmed Mohammed Sule ,Deputy Director, Media and Public Relations, NIHOTOUR disclosed this in a statement.

Alhaji Kangiwa who made the promise at the Institute’s headquarters during a brief ceremony that signaled his assumption of office following his appointment last week by the Federal Government as Director General of the Institute, said the erroneous public’s perception of tourism as a mere leisure activity should be changed for the better as tourism is serious business.

He said however to achieve the desired growth in the tourism industry, a skilled and professional manpower base is needed, which is the primary mandate for which NIHOTOUR was established, noting that he will work assiduously to ensure that the Institute delivers on its core mandate during his tenure.

The new Director General then solicited for the support and cooperation of the Management, staff and students of the Institute to achieve his mission of taking NIHOTOUR to greater heights in hospitality and tourism skill acquisition and manpower training, adding that the support and cooperation will also be required of critical stakeholders of the industry for the good of the sector.

Earlier in his remarks, Dr. Momoh A M Kabir, outgoing Director Overseeing Office of the Director General (OO DG) who has been on an acting capacity following the expiration of the tenure of the former Director General in 2018, congratulated the new Director General over his appointment and pledged the full support of the Management and staff of the Institute to enable him achieve greater success during his tenure.

He said while during his short tenure he tried assiduously to record remarkable successes, the Institute is not without some teething challenges but which he believes are not insurmountable by the new Director General, stating that these include the struggle to get the Bill for the Institute passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by the President; the dwindling financial fortunes of the Institute due to lean allocation of funds and the need for the Institute to have a befitting office and training accommodation of its own in Abuja, headquarters of the multi-campus Institute.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari last week approved the appointment of Mr Nura Sani Kangiwa as the New Director General, of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR).