The Hotel Owners and Managers Association of Lagos (HOMAL) has decried the disruption in business and arrest of its members in Lagos by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism’s (NIHOTOUR). NIHOTOUR’s action, according to the institute, was over the non-compliance with its directive for HOMAL members and their staff to register with the institute. HOMAL however, called on the Federal Government to call the leadership of NIHOTOUR to order. It alleged that staff of some of these hotels were on Tuesday, June 10 illegally detained at the Lagos zonal office of the institute in Mushin, Lagos for hours, saying such action is capable of sending wrong signals to investors in the hospitality business and truncate the steady growth in the hospitality industry that the country has been experiencing.

The Secretary General of the association, Mr. Adeniyi Ologun, while speaking to the media on the issue, described the actions of NIHOTOUR as illegal since there is a Supreme Court judgment on the role of the federal government on the issue of tourism in Nigeria, and also due to the pendency of the case before the court. Ologun said: “We know that NIHOTOUR made demand that members of HOMAL, among other hotels, should register. They said the registration would commence with the top management members that they should register with NIHOTOUR so that the institute can certify their qualification so to say. They said the enabling law of NIHOTOUR, that is the NIHOTOUR Act 2022 requires that all practitioners. HOMAL said that this might be against the ruling of the Supreme Court ruling in 2013 which specifically made tourism and hospitality subject to state legislations. So, in the course of the exchange, like every responsible organization, we decided to go to court to find out whether their request is validly made or not. So, we approached the court, and the court proceedings commenced on May 21, 2025. At the court, after the exchange of legal documents, the case was adjourned to September 30, 2025. I remember HOMAL lawyer specifically informed the court that NIHOTOUR has been forceful for the registration and certification of our members, which the court needs to give order that all parties maintain status quo. So, that was the position when we left the court. “Only go for us to be informed by many of our members like the Sheraton, Marriot, Radisson Blu Anchorage, Four Point by Sheraton, Oniru and others that NIHOTOUR has invaded their premises with armed policemen, barricaded their entrances, disrupted their operations and insisted on taking some of their management staff to follow them.”Asked whether some staff of these hotels were arrested, Ologun replied: “Well, I don’t know what NIHOTOUR will call it; we know that some of the workers of our members were picked up. When I called the man said to be in charge, one Mr. Ibe, he said those picked were at NIHOTOUR office in Mushin. So, I came her to the zonal office. I have been here since 12:30pm today; everybody said they could not do anything that they were following orders.”Asked what was the requirement for a hotel to get registered with NIHOTOUR and whether the institute was making any demand, Ologun explained: “When I spoke with our members that were arrested, if I will call it arrest, they said they were asked to pay N2.5 million before they could be released.”At the NIHOTOUR zonal office in Lagos, fierce looking police officers mounted the gate, scrutinizing those who want to enter the premises of the institute.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NIHOTOUR Dr. Ajiboye Longe was contacted for his reaction to the complaints made by HOMAL. Longe made reference to the NIHOTOUR Establishment Act of 2022. The NIHOTOUR spokesperson was also asked why some of the staff of hoteliers were being detained in their zonal office instead of a police station, he replied: “NIHOTOUR has communicated repeatedly to all hospitality, travel and tourism concerns across the country, especially all those that our compliance and enforcement team has visited in Lagos today. Whatever actions that were taken are well within the` legal authorization and the office of the IGP (Inspector General of Police). Asked why not take the detained hotels’ staff to the police station instead the zonal office, Alonge replied: “This question can only be answered by the Director General.” He later added that “They have been notified beforehand. The act allows them to be detained and processed at the NIHOTOUR Zonal Office before further moved to the police force command. However, I have been informed that most of those that were arrested today have on administrative bail by the police.”

However, reacting to this development, a professor of hospitality and tourism at Atiba University, Oyo, Professor Wasiu Babalola said while there is need to regulate the hospitality sector, the approach in enforcement is wrong as it is capable of sending the wrong signal to the international community: “When you are enforcing, you cannot be selective in enforcement. Because by this action you are sending wrong signals to the international community that in enforcement, you are only targeting some brands. You are trying to drive some brands away. We need to be careful. If we are not careful, the enforcement may take us ten steps backward from where we are.”