Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, the newly appointed Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has promised to deliver on the institute’s mandate.
Mr Ahmed Sule, Deputy Director, Media and Public Relations of the institute said Kangiwa made the promise in a statement he signed and issued to newsmen in Abuja.
Kangiwa also promised to ensure that capacity building required to position the Nigerian tourism and hospitality sector remained his hallmark as he assumed office.
He said that the erroneous public perception of tourism as a mere leisure activity would be changed for the better as tourism was serious business.
Kangiwa, however noted that to achieve the desired growth in the tourism industry, a skilled and professional manpower base was needed.
He said that was the primary mandate for which NIHOTOUR was established.
He promised to work assiduously to ensure that the Institute delivered on its core mandate during his tenure.
Kangiwa 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.
He said that support and cooperation would also be required of critical stakeholders of the industry for the good of the sector.
Earlier in his remarks, Dr Momoh Kabir, who had been on an acting capacity as DG, since 2018, congratulated Kangiwa on his appointment.
He pledged the full support of the management and staff of the Institute to enable him achieve greater success during his tenure.
Kabir said during his short tenure he tried to record remarkable successes, adding that the Institute had some teething challenges but which he believed the new DG would tackle.
He said the teething challenges included getting the Bill for the Institute passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by the President, dwindling financial fortunes of the Institute due to lean allocation of funds.
Kabir also said the Institute need a befitting office and training accommodation of its own in Abuja, headquarters of the multi-campus Institute.
