Minister Of Tourism Commends NIHOTOUR For Annual Master Lecture Series. ..... Call On Captains Of Tourism Industry To Move The Sector Forward.

"Most importantly, come up with sellable products that are healthy. That is the most important thing; healthy food. It is not just food from the farm to the table, but healthy food." Mrs. Lola Ade-John

As  the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, (NIHOTOUR) commence it's annual Master Lecture Series, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Lola Ade-John has disclosed that her Ministry has embarked on standardizing Hotels across the country.

The Minister also revealed that the Ministry is talking to various communities to engage in better food and farming practices that will yield healthy food produces. 

Also, the Director General of NIHOTOUR,  Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa who disclosed that Tourism Gastronomy has  contributed to more than 118 million created jobs, translating to 3.8 per cent of global employment as reported by World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) records, stated that the hospitality and tourism sector has a specialized demand for occupational trade skills to produce tourism content across almost all the socio-economic sectors.

The Minister and the Director General both disclosed these on Thursday in Abuja at the 7th edition of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Annual Master Lecture Series event with the Theme: 'Sustainable Food Production From Farm To The Table.'

Nigeria's Minister of Tourism who expressed confidence in the array of Captains of the Tourism Sector present, appealed to them to come with deliberations that will move the sector forward.

According to her, "Most importantly, come up with sellable products that are healthy. That is the most important thing; healthy food. It is not just food from the farm to the table, but healthy food. 

"Training, and not just the discussion, you know, it is taking learnings from those discussions and employing them, implementing them and also talking to the communities to engage in better food practices and farming practices, so that we can all be healthy, have increased revenue, and also ensure that we all work together as a Community from the different Stakeholders Ministries."

The NIHOTOUR DG stressed that the event underscores the critical importance of addressing food security, quality and accessibility in the country.

"This event is a testament to our commitment to academic excellence and professional development serving as a Platform for fostering, adding also to the knowledge and its exchange, also in Research and Innovation in the field of Hospitality and Tourism. 

"The Theme of this year's Lecture Series is timely and relevant, especially in the context of the Government's ongoing effort to enhance food production and distribution system in Nigeria. 

"By focusing on Sustainable Practices from farm to table, we aim not only at improving the availability and affordability of our food culture and lifestyle, but also ensure that the quality, standards and nutritional value of the products reaching our tables comes from all channels of the value chains". He stated. 

Dangiwa noted that Nigeria, as a nation rich in agricultural resources, has the potential to become a key player in the global food market noting however that; "These potentials can only be fully realized through systematic research, innovation and collaboration among various stakeholders, hence, the need for rigorous scientific inquiry and knowledge dissemination in the field of food production and management, which has never been more pressing than now.

"It is imperative to state that the frontier of knowledge through research is on course. Therefore, as we convene for this 7th edition of the annual Master Lecture Series, the Scholars are enjoined to renew collective commitment to advancing sustainable food production practices and elevating the food culture and culinary standards in our Nation.

"In the spirit of professionalizing the sector through academic and skill excellence, we are encouraged to engage in thoughtful discussions, share best practices and inspire new initiatives that will propel Nigeria towards a brighter and more prosperous future gastronomy destination." He assured.