Training and adherence to international standards remain the missing ingredients preventing Nigeria’s tourism industry from reaching its full potential, according to Ahmed Ojuolape, Chief Executive Officer of Empire Travel Services Ltd and an International Air Transport Association (IATA) Trainer.
Speaking at the Naija7Wonders Zoom Conference themed “Festivals & Tourism in Nigeria: A New Pathway,” Ojuolape said the country must prioritize continuous professional development if it hopes to compete with leading global tourism destinations.
He argued that while stakeholders have repeatedly identified challenges facing the sector, the common thread linking them is inadequate training and a lack of globally recognized standards. “I discovered that the bedrock of everything we are talking about is training,” he said, stressing that every successful profession places a premium on continuous learning and retraining. According to him, IATA has demonstrated how internationally accepted standards can transform industries by promoting safety, security and operational efficiency across the aviation value chain.
“When we are able to standardize things, they become acceptable worldwide. The good thing about IATA is that whatever we do is the same anywhere in the world,” he noted. Ojuolape urged tourism operators to embrace internationally accredited training programmes and ensure that professionals managing destinations, airlines, hospitality businesses and travel services possess globally recognized qualifications. He emphasized that Nigeria’s tourism ambitions cannot be achieved through local standards alone.
“We should build standards first. We should have a global picture in our thinking. Tourism is not meant for locals alone,” he said, adding that attracting international visitors requires globally competitive service delivery. He also called for greater collaboration between Nigerian tourism institutions and international organizations such as IATA, saying global partnerships would improve professionalism and enhance the country’s competitiveness in the international tourism market.
