At the close of the 8th National Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo (NTTSummit 2025), stakeholders are urging the urgent integration of entrepreneurship, skill acquisition and capacity-building programmes into Nigeria’s national policy framework for the tourism and transport sectors. According to the final communique, the move is seen as essential to give youths and women across the country access to the skills needed to thrive and invest in these industries.
The communique, released by Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, National President of the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN) and Chairman of the inter-ministerial organising committee, called for pragmatic synergy among various training and capacity-building institutions. Highlighted agencies include the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), certification bodies, and training centres such as NIHOTOUR and National College of Aviation Technology (NCAT).
The recommendation underscores that for Nigeria’s tourism, hospitality and transport sectors to grow sustainably, new entrants and practitioners must be equipped with market-ready skills. It also points to the broader need for collaboration between public and private players to raise service standards and ensure investments lead to real development.
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NTTSummit 2025: Harmonised Standards and Infrastructure for Industry Growth
Speakers and participants at NTTSummit 2025 further stressed the need for better cooperation among all stakeholders across tourism and transport value chains, from regulators and educators to private operators. The proposed collaboration aims to standardise operational guidelines, implement consistent service standards and raise the quality of service across the industry.
In addition, the communique called for increased public-private investment in transportation infrastructure. Such investment would support improved connectivity to tourist sites, and by extension, help unlock tourism potentials nationwide. There was also a strong push for the development of tourist sites and attractions, backed by policies that facilitate destination development, transport links, and overall enhancement of tourism value chains.
Community-Based Tourism: Focus on Grassroots Potential
A notable highlight from the NTTSummit is the call to prioritise community-based tourism, especially in grassroots and rural areas where much of Nigeria’s tourism potential lies. The communique urged federal and state governments to collaborate with local governments and community stakeholders to develop heritage sites, manage tourism sustainably, and create jobs at the local level.
Specifically, there was a call for the revival of Local Government Tourism Committees to ensure inclusive stakeholder participation in tourism development at the community level. Proponents said that such a bottom-up approach would not only preserve national heritage and cultural identity but also boost local economies, attract investments and enhance livelihoods.
Sustainable infrastructure development, especially in transport, was described as the “lifeline” of the industry. Without reliable transport networks, remote tourist destinations cannot attract visitors, and the value chain of tourism remains unrealised.
Aligning Tourism with Broader Skill Acquisition and Economic Empowerment
The push at NTTSummit for skills training and capacity building in tourism and transport comes at a time when broader national and sectoral conversations emphasise entrepreneurship and vocational training as engines for economic growth and youth empowerment. As recently observed by experts, equipping youths with practical skills remains one of Nigeria’s most powerful tools for sustainable development.
Research also supports the impact of such efforts: skill-acquisition programmes across Nigeria have demonstrated that equipping youth with technical and entrepreneurial knowledge increases self-reliance, creates employment opportunities, and fosters socio-economic development.
In this context, the recommendations from NTTSummit 2025, focusing on training, standardised regulation, infrastructure improvement and grassroots-driven tourism, align closely with ongoing national efforts to reorient Nigeria’s economy toward production, skills development and inclusive growth.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with high youth unemployment and under-utilised potential, integrating these recommendations into national policy could significantly transform the tourism and transport industries, while driving local economic empowerment, cultural preservation and long-term sustainable development.
With this new direction, it is hoped that the synergy among public agencies, private players, training institutions, community stakeholders and government would turn Nigeria’s tourism and transport sectors into vibrant engines of growth that benefit thousands of youths, women and communities across the country.
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