The National President of the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Mr Nkereuwem Onung, has been applauded for identifying and recommending both private and public sector to make Abuja a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) city.
Onung, who spoke at the 2022 Hotel Business Conference and Expo, held in Abuja recently got the nod of the audience when he painted a holistic picture of the global value -chain of the hospitality industry and how Nigeria must take advantage of a well-defined acronym called MICE, said.
“Let us make Abuja a MICE city, to create a weekend in Abuja product.
According to him, “The hospitality industry globally is one of the highest employers of labour. It is an industry that requires professionalism in service delivery; therefore we all have a role to play in ensuring that the hotel business in Nigeria meets up with global standards and flourishes in the future.
“We encourage the industry to further develop our M.I.C.E potential as it presents us with opportunities to network and contribute to topical issues while showcasing our products and services.
“An event such as this provides the opportunity for stakeholders to come up with a blueprint that will help develop the industry. And HOFA today has proved to us all that this is possible. I say kudos to them.
“I commend the executives of HOFA for the unflinching support of the President and pray that the labor will not be in vain. Similarly, let me extend my accolades to the various resource persons engaged to facilitate this conference.
“I nurse no doubt in my mind that participants would greatly benefit from shared insights and pragmatic experiences of the issues to be deliberated upon for robust discussions and recommendations for a more positioned HOFA and the industry at large,” Onung added.
Onung who congratulated the President of the Hotel Owners Forum Abuja, HOFA, Mrs Funmi Kazeem, for putting up such a timely event with the theme; the future of hospitality in Nigeria: Challenges and opportunities, said it is apt and timely at this point, as the industry has indeed suffered numerous setbacks.
However, looking at the future, Onung said “I am confident that we won’t come out of this event without pointing ourselves in the right direction.”
