NIHOTOUR trains 700 staff in digital skills, deepens push for institutional reforms
By Maureen Aguta
The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has trained more than 700 members of staff in digital skills as part of efforts to modernise its operations, improve workforce efficiency and strengthen its capacity to drive reforms in Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry.
The five-day intensive practical training, held from November 2 to 6, 2026, in partnership with Jampitech Solutions Company Limited, covered critical digital competencies required to enhance productivity and improve service delivery in an increasingly technology-driven workplace.
The programme exposed participants drawn from various directorates of the Institute to computer and internet fundamentals, Microsoft Office applications, Google Workspace, artificial intelligence (AI), workplace automation, cybersecurity, digital safety, online communication, content creation and other practical digital applications.
Speaking at the commencement of the programme, NIHOTOUR Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Aare Abisoye Fagade, said the initiative was a strategic investment in human capital development and a critical component of the Institute’s institutional modernisation agenda.
Fagade stressed that NIHOTOUR could not effectively lead the transformation of the hospitality and tourism industry without first embracing digital innovation within its own administrative and operational structures.
“We cannot lead the digital transformation of Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry if we are not prepared to embrace digital transformation within our own institution,” he said.
He explained that the training was not merely designed to improve basic computer literacy among employees but to equip them with practical skills to deploy technology in improving efficiency, managing information, strengthening internal communication, supporting informed decision-making and delivering better results.
The Director-General also emphasised that digital transformation should not be regarded as the exclusive responsibility of the Institute’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department, noting that every staff member had a role to play in building a technology-driven institution.
According to him, the success of the Institute’s digital transformation agenda would depend on the willingness of employees across departments and levels to embrace new technologies and integrate them into their daily responsibilities.
The initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly its focus on human capital development, technology adoption, skills acquisition, institutional efficiency and improved public service delivery.
It also forms part of NIHOTOUR’s broader institutional reforms aimed at strengthening its capacity to implement the NIHOTOUR Act 2022 and effectively discharge its statutory responsibilities across the hospitality and tourism industry.
Under the Act, the Institute is mandated to promote professional training, certification, registration, accreditation and the development of standards for practitioners and operators in Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism sector.
However, the effective discharge of these responsibilities requires an institution equipped with the necessary human, technical and administrative capacity to respond to changing industry demands.
The training of more than 700 employees is therefore expected to strengthen NIHOTOUR’s internal operations while positioning its workforce to support the growing adoption of digital technologies across the tourism and hospitality value chain.
The positive response to the programme was reflected in an appreciation conveyed by the Institute’s Lagos Directorate, which commended Fagade for prioritising staff development and investing in building a digitally competent workforce.
NIHOTOUR also acknowledged the contributions of Jampitech Solutions Company Limited for its technical partnership and facilitation of the programme, as well as the management and staff members who participated in the exercise.
The Institute said it would encourage participants to apply the knowledge acquired to their respective departments, with a view to improving workflow processes, promoting interdepartmental collaboration, enhancing service delivery and achieving measurable productivity gains.
With the hospitality and tourism industry increasingly embracing digital platforms, artificial intelligence and technology-driven service delivery, NIHOTOUR said it remained committed to developing a workforce capable of responding to emerging professional demands.
The Institute maintained that building a stronger and more effective organisation would require sustained investment in its workforce, adding that digitally empowered employees remained central to its ambition of supporting a competitive and globally relevant Nigerian hospitality and tourism industry.