Abuja, Nigeria – 19 November 2025 — The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), marking a major step toward building a more data-driven and globally competitive hospitality, travel, and tourism industry in Nigeria.
The partnership aims to deepen sector research, strengthen tourism intelligence, and provide credible data to guide government agencies, investors, practitioners, and stakeholders in making informed decisions. For years, the industry’s growth has been hampered by fragmented and unreliable data, limiting its ability to fully harness opportunities in job creation, enterprise development, and cultural promotion.
Under the MoU, NIHOTOUR and NBS will collaborate on enhanced data collection and analysis across accommodation, transportation, culinary tourism, events, recreation, destination activities, and workforce trends. The two agencies will also produce joint research outputs to serve as official references for policymakers, development partners, and private-sector players. The agreement further includes capacity-building initiatives and the development of a shared tourism intelligence system to support planning, forecasting, and regulatory improvements.
“This partnership marks a turning point for the sector,” said Aare Fagade, DG/CEO of NIHOTOUR. “Reliable data is the backbone of meaningful progress. With this MoU, we are paving the way for smarter investments, better training, and a more globally competitive tourism industry.”
Statistician-General of the Federation and NBS CEO, Prince Adeyemi, said the bureau remains committed to supporting sectors with significant potential for national development. “This collaboration ensures that the hospitality, travel, and tourism sector will now benefit from the same level of statistical rigour applied to other critical industries,” he noted.
The collaboration comes ahead of the festive season, the busiest period for Nigeria’s tourism ecosystem. Through the partnership, NIHOTOUR and NBS will track visitor flows, spending patterns, workforce movements, and sectoral performance during the period, helping operators, destination managers, and state governments improve planning, pricing, and service delivery.
The MoU aligns with national efforts to reposition tourism as a major non-oil revenue source and strengthen professional standards across the hospitality and travel value chain. By combining NIHOTOUR’s leadership in capacity development with NBS’s expertise in statistical systems, the agreement lays a strong foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth in Nigeria’s tourism industry.
