Aare Bisoye Fagade, the director general, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), today paid a courtesy visit to Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the director general/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
He was accompanied by senior members of his management team, as both agencies explored opportunities for deeper institutional collaboration.
During the meeting, the leadership of NIHOTOUR and NIMC underscored the importance of a robust partnership to advance their mandates, particularly in strengthening national identity systems within the hospitality, travel, and tourism ecosystem.
At the heart of the proposed collaboration is the integration of NIMC’s comprehensive national identity database, consisting of all registered persons under the NIMC Act, into NIHOTOUR’s certification and registration processes for qualified practitioners, as provided in the NIHOTOUR Establishment Act.
This alignment is expected to boost the credibility, traceability, and professionalization of Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality workforce.
It will also support national security, elevate service standards, and promote data-driven development across the sector.
Engr. (Dr.) Abisoye Coker-Odusote reaffirmed NIMC’s commitment to supporting institutions whose operations depend on accurate identity verification.
She emphasized that interoperability and secure data exchange are essential to modern governance and economic growth, applauding NIHOTOUR’s proactive approach and expressing confidence in the partnership’s national impact.
Aare Bisoye Fagade, on his part, noted that the collaboration would strengthen NIHOTOUR’s institutional processes while raising standards across Nigeria’s expanding hospitality and tourism landscape.
Both agencies agreed to establish a joint technical working group to design an implementation framework, marking a significant step toward a more secure, integrated, and professional sector.
