The Oyo State government has expressed its readiness to assist the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) to establish its mini campus in the State to enhance capacity training for professionals in the industry.
Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Culture and Tourism, Hon. Akeem Ademola Ige stated this while receiving the officials of NIHOTOUR led by its South West Coordinator in his office yesterday.
NIHOTOUR is a parastatal of the federal Ministry of Information and Culture established to provide training and develop manpower for the hospitality and tourism industry; carry out research services in the hospitality and tourism sector and offer consultancy services in the hospitality and tourism sector in Nigeria.
Hon. Ige hinted that tourism industry is a goldmine that has remained untapped by the previous administration in the State in spite of its socio-economic potentials as another major source of revenue generation for government.
Hon Ige stressed that NIHOTOUR as an institute that offers training for skilled manpower, would help to ensure training for highly skilled and knowledge based professionals working in both private and public tourism sector in the State.
He expressed his happiness for the visit which he said would foster harmonious relationship between the institute and the government.
Earlier in her remarks, the Zonal Coordinator South West of the institute, Mrs Uche-Ibeabuchi Chinyere explained that their visit to Hon. Ige’s office was informed by the need to collaborate with the Oyo State government to establish a mini campus for the professional training for their members and upgrade the activities of the institute.
The Zonal Coordinator, NIHOTOUR, was accompanied on the visit by Ms Olatuyi Funmi, Lecturer II; Ekwere Kenneth, Lecturer ll and Kayode Olusegun, Chief Administrative Staff in the institute.