The General Manager of Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort and Conference Center, Lanre Sharafa Balogun, has called for the domestication of Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry, stressing that the country possesses the professional capacity, cultural richness, and skilled workforce needed to transform the sector without excessive dependence on foreign brands.
Speaking during an interview at the resort in Ekiti State, Balogun said Nigeria has developed highly competent professionals capable of managing world-class hospitality operations, adding that local culture and indigenous experiences should form the foundation of tourism offerings across the country.
“There is so much capacity in Nigeria,” Balogun said. “My hospitality manager, Francis Ogosi, has been voted president of the Institute of Hospitality UK and Nigeria. The quality of people that we have here is huge. The team we have been able to put together at Glocient Hospitality is unprecedented in this country.”
According to him, many Nigerian professionals trained within the local hospitality ecosystem are already excelling internationally and managing major establishments.
“I went to a place and one of the people that I trained now runs a group of 12 hotels. We have skilled Nigerians, professional Nigerians with capacity in interior design and every other aspect of hospitality,” he said.
Balogun argued that Nigeria’s tourism sector should focus more on showcasing local identity, cuisine, traditions, and experiences rather than replicating foreign concepts that disconnect visitors from the country’s cultural heritage.
“When you go to China, you eat Chinese food. When you come to Nigeria, eat pounded yam, eat local foods,” he said. “Go through the society and let the society go through you. We have fresh palm wine here daily. These are the things we want government to project.”
He emphasized that his position was not a rejection of international hospitality standards or global partnerships, but rather a call to adapt global knowledge to fit Nigerian realities and cultural expectations.
“That’s not what I’m saying,” he clarified when asked about global brands. “We have interacted with global brands and gone through their processes. We need to domesticate it.”
Using traditional protocol as an example, Balogun explained that hospitality services in Nigeria should reflect local customs and values.
“If the Ooni of Ife comes into Ikogosi and a waiter wants to welcome him, there are cultural expectations involved. The Ooni would prefer that a lady kneels to greet him. That is the value and culture I’m talking about,” he said.
He noted that the knowledge transfer from global hospitality institutions has already taken place, adding that Nigerian professionals now possess the expertise required to build globally competitive but culturally authentic hospitality brands.
“We have gotten to that level. The global brands have impacted the knowledge and expertise. When they come to our trade shows and exhibitions, they listen,” Balogun said.
The Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort boss also lamented what he described as the country’s failure to appreciate its people, culture, and indigenous tourism assets enough.
“We don’t appreciate our people enough. We don’t appreciate the culture. I am passionate about this,” he added.
