The Chancellor of Umara Musa Yar’Adua University in Katsina, Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Ida, has called for the production of 10-year tourism Reform Agenda encompasses the Tourism Roadmap for Nigeria, the establishment of the National Tourism Marketing Council, the Tourism Development Fund (TDF), and other strategic interventions aimed at accelerating the intentional development and promotion of Nigeria’s tourism sector.
These he said should be attended to with promptness and urgency that they deserved now. ‘‘We must act promptly and decisively,’’ declared the Senator.
These were parts of recommendations by Ida, who is a former Permanent Secretary at the federal government level and the Waziri of Katsina State, in the incisive and revealing keynote address, he delivered at the opening ceremony of the ninth edition of Nigeria Tourism Investors Forum and Exposition (NTIFE) 2026 and the 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2026 of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) held in Abuja.
Speaking on theme of NTIFE 2026; Tourism Transformation Through Collaboration, Policy Alignment, and Investment, Ida said; ‘‘It is direct, it is urgent, and it is the only path forward if we are serious about unlocking the true potential of tourism in Nigeria.
‘‘For decades we have talked about tourism as the next big thing after oil. Today, we must move from talk to action. The world is moving, and tourists are making choices every day on where to spend their money and their holidays. We must act promptly and decisively.’’
Speaking from the perspectives of a former public service implementer and now businessman of about 25 years, Ida decried the present state of Nigerian tourism, with no intentional focus and uncoordinated policies implementation, all of which have left the sector in a poor and beggarly state.
‘‘I have seen and exploited the opportunities in the sector, and I have also felt the pains. What I will share today is based on personal knowledge and experience,’’ disclosed Ida.
Ida, now a business mogul and the proprietor of Bristol Palace Hotel group, queried the reason for the present position, ‘‘Why is this so? The answer is simple. We tend to regard tourism more as an afterthought, instead of treating it as a real revenue earner.’’
Therefore, Ida said; ‘‘The time for the real transformation of the sector is now. Indeed, it should have happened yesterday. However, the type of transformation needed can only come if we adhere strictly to the intent and purpose of choosing the theme of today’s Forum, which is the quest for a roadmap for the transformation of tourism through collaboration among stakeholders; a deliberate policy alignment among the stakeholders; and the search for the infusion of massive capital Investment into the sector from public and private sources.’’
To build a vibrant, thriving and sustainable tourism sector, he recommended a number of quick fixed solutions to immediately tackle the problems facing the sector.
According to him; ‘‘shift from focusing purely on volume and revenue to prioritising sustainability, community well-being, and technological innovation.
‘‘The successes of our private airlines, Nollywood, and Fintech came when the government created the space and the private sector provided capital and know-how. Tourism must follow the same model.’’
He also recommended the need; ‘‘to establish a Tourism Investment One-Stop Shop in every state and at the federal level. Towards that end, I call on the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to work with the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority to create a harmonised Tourism Development Levy.
‘‘We have had a good National Tourism Policy since 2017. What we lack is implementation. The implementation of that policy is a necessity. We need a 10-year Tourism Transformation Roadmap with clear targets on hotel rooms, tourist arrivals, contribution to GDP, and jobs creation. We must measure performance every year.
Ida also recommended the inflow of massive investment into the tourism sector. ‘‘Financing is the future of tourism. Promoting tourism is not cheap. A 200-room international standard hotel costs between $20 and $40 million. A resort takes between 10 and 15 years to break even.
‘‘We need a dedicated fund with long-term, single-digit interest. For that I strongly propose that we create a Nigeria Tourism Development Fund (TDF). The fund can, and indeed should be managed by the Bank of Industry (BOI) in collaboration with state governments. It should finance hotels, resorts, conference centres, and cultural infrastructure. For a start, we should target N500 billion as seed money.
‘‘Other things needed are incentives that really work. Such incentives as Pioneer Status, Duty Waiver on Tourism Equipment, five-year Tax Holiday, and Guaranteed Land Title, are what I have in mind. Investors must know that if they put money in Nigeria, the government will protect that money.
‘‘An important thing is to realise that the Hospitality Sub Sector is the engine room of Tourism. You cannot have vibrant tourism without hospitality. By hospitality, I am referring to Hotels, Restaurants, and Service Apartments where the promise of tourism is either delivered or destroyed.
‘‘Then we must address our infrastructure deficit. Constant power, water, roads, and security around tourism sites must be prioritised.
‘‘We must deal with skilled manpower. We need to revamp NIHOTOUR and partner with private operators to train staff to international standards.’’
Ida concluded by disclosing; ‘‘tourism transformation is not a slogan. It is a choice. It is the choice to collaborate instead of compete. It is the choice to align policy instead of confusing investors. It is the choice to invest for the long term instead of chasing quick money. The assets are here. The market is here. The people are here. The only thing missing is decisive action.”
