National Daily

Tourism institute generates N84m

From TONY OTARU, Abuja

THE National Institute for Hospital and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) generated about N84.5 million in the past five years for the Federal Government from its training programmes, the Director General of the Institute, Alhaji (Barrister) Munzali Dantata has disclosed.
Alhaji Dantata said the money has since been paid into the coffers of the government through the Central Bank, in the spirit of accountability and the promotion of prudence in expenditure.

The tourism specialist told members of the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism led by its Chairman, Senator Dahiru bako Gassol that the institute which was established about twenty years ago would have done better than its present level of performance but for the teething problems such as inadequate funding, lack of proper learning facilities and its continued operation from temporary places.

Munzali disclosed that the institute which produces personnel for the nations hotels and tourism industry lacked a good training hotel for practical work experience and functions from a rented apartment arguing that the place has been classified as a residential area by the Federal Capital Development Agency (FCDA) and unsuitable for offices.

The Director General appealed to the Senators to look critically into the problems and budget provisions meant for the institute to see whether it is possible to approve the building of a permanent headquarters for the institute which has trained about eight thousand personnel for the hospitality industry since its inception in 1987.

He said the institute which runs four campuses situated in Benin , Lagos , Kaduna and Enugu states hopes to acquire a befitting corporate headquarters this year at a cost of N100 Million apart from upgrading the schools in the four zones with the sum of N58 Million. Providing insight into how the institute came into being, Alhaji Dantata disclosed that NIHOTOUR was established in 1987 as a tripartite project between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Federal Government to provide specialist training for personnel in the hospitality and tourism industry. The institute offers courses in hospitality and tourism up to Post Graduate Diploma level.