By Frank Meke
It is hardly necessary to remind anyone that Nigeria’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has become synonymous with controversy. She appears to relish it—often finding herself entangled in avoidable confusion and public frustration. Two years into her tenure, her performance remains largely uninspiring, marked by a lack of innovation, absence of strategic direction, and a worrying inability to manage the cultural, tourism, and creative economy sectors effectively.
Her series of missteps—many of them shockingly amateurish—have resulted in missed opportunities for the sector and strengthened the argument that she may no longer be suited for the role she occupies. Rather than championing reforms, she has become known more for name-dropping and grandstanding, unintentionally undermining the same administration she represents.
The latest in her string of errors—her unilateral suspension of the legal mandate of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) to regulate training, certification, and operational standards in the hospitality and tourism sector—is both indefensible and alarming.
The National Assembly’s amendment of the NIHOTOUR Act in 2022 was not driven by personal whims. It was a deliberate, constructive step to ensure that hospitality operators comply with globally accepted standards in a sector projected to be one of Nigeria’s largest employers of labour. Those resisting compliance often have something to hide. As with all reform-driven regulatory systems, pushbacks are expected—particularly in a country where many prefer to avoid taxes, levies, and operational audits.
We have seen confrontations between motorists and traffic regulators, electricity officials brutalised while enforcing compliance, drug agents attacked during raids, and hospitality businesses resisting lawful audits. Beyond that, several hospitality establishments have served as fronts for illicit drug networks, human trafficking rings, and other criminal operations. Many operate without signages, without traceable owners, and without accountability. This is the environment NIHOTOUR seeks to sanitise.
Since his appointment, NIHOTOUR’s Director-General, Aare Abisoye Fagade, has carried out his mandate with commendable commitment. From Akure to Lagos, Abuja to Akwa Ibom, he has demonstrated humility, openness to collaboration, and determination to ensure sector-wide compliance. He has listened, engaged, educated, and worked to win over stakeholders—firmly but respectfully.
Yet, the minister’s first reaction to a minor enforcement issue in Lagos exposed her poor grasp of NIHOTOUR’s mandate. Her latest decision to “suspend” NIHOTOUR’s regulatory enforcement framework reveals a deeper problem: a palpable bias against an institution critical to Nigeria’s standing as a credible tourism destination.
A well-regulated hospitality and tourism sector strengthens national security by helping government track suspicious operators and underworld networks. Why then would a minister suspend such a vital mandate under the guise of “protecting the rights of operators”—especially when most legitimate operators and professional associations publicly support the NIHOTOUR reforms?
The question now is: Whose interests is Hannatu Musa Musawa protecting? Where is the documentation of her so-called “comprehensive review” of NIHOTOUR’s enforcement activities? If she respects the rule of law, why not allow the ongoing litigation initiated by certain operators to run its course? Why resort to self-help and ministerial overreach?
To publicly ambush the mandate of a government agency, simply to appease a few entrenched interests posing as stakeholders, speaks volumes about her leadership capacity—or the lack thereof.
Her credibility has been questioned before. Only weeks ago, she claimed she had secured Federal Executive Council approval to help the Lagos State Government manage “Detty December” traffic—a baffling and unserious statement. She also boasted about obtaining funding support for the upgrade of Obudu Airport and the cattle ranch—claims many industry watchers dismissed as grandstanding.
Her recent outing in Benin, where she attempted to defend foreign investors involved in the controversial Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) project, only to be confronted with evidence by the Edo State Governor, further exposed her recurring pattern of misjudgment.
Already, the suspension order has sparked confusion in the media, with at least one newspaper erroneously reporting that the Federal Government had suspended all NIHOTOUR activities. This misinformation is the direct result of a poorly delivered directive from the minister’s office—another example of avoidable chaos.
Those celebrating the suspension are the same individuals and groups that have long resisted accountability. Their alliance with the minister risks portraying Nigeria globally as a destination where regulations can be whimsically dismantled and law enforcement undermined.
Abraham Lincoln once said that adversity reveals character, but power reveals a person’s true nature. Hannatu’s actions expose a troubling inability to responsibly wield the authority entrusted to her. Instead of strengthening the cultural and tourism ecosystem, she has repeatedly undermined it.
I challenge Hannatu Musa Musawa to publish a list of the operators allegedly offended by NIHOTOUR’s regulatory reforms. When she does, we will gladly profile them as saboteurs of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda in the hospitality and tourism sector.
As Margaret Thatcher warned, anyone who stands in the middle of the road risks being knocked down from both sides. And to quote Nelson Mandela, “Fools multiply when wise men keep silent.” Those of us who care about the sector cannot remain silent while an emotional, ill-informed minister derails a lawful mandate essential to Nigeria’s tourism development.
Hannatu Musa Musawa will not remain in office forever. But the damage her actions could cause—if left unchecked—might take years to undo. Her latest decision on NIHOTOUR is senseless, baseless, and indefensible. And it must not stand.
