By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Social Development Secretariat (SDS) has commenced secured Ministerial approval to commence the registration and licensing of all tourism and hospitality outfits in the territory.
Mandate Secretary FCT SDS, Mrs Hadiza Kabir, disclosed this at the tourism stakeholders sensitisation forum held yesterday.
She stated that the plan approved by minister would guide the operation of the Department of Tourism, SDS, and ease the implementation of it mandatory function which hitherto over the years has been lying fallow.
Mrs Kabir said that the registration of hospitality outfits implies the legal act of granting rights to a hospitality business to operate in the FCT geographical space in exchange for mild payment.
She noted that the ministerial authority and sensitisation was very necessary because new areas that require to be incorporated under the tourism legislation have emerged such as the issue of multiple taxation, contravention of Land Use Act and other issues.
The mandate revealed that presently the Tourism Department of the SDS has data from enumeration exercises that show over 3,000 Hotel establishments, adding that more are coming up daily in the territory.
” The Tourism Act, amplified by the ministerial approval/ authority will ensure the enforcement of the act and makes it mandatory for all tourism and hospitality establishments in the FCT to registered and licensed at a fee without which they cannot operate in the territory.
“This fee has not been collected since 2023. The FCT was benefiting from the revues derived from this exercise when the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) had the mandate to collect and share revenues accruing to it in this effect.
” But this has stopped following the devolution of such powers on the state of the Federation and the FCT by the Supreme Court Judgement of July 19, 2013. The implication of this is that the FCT will take over from the NTDC.”
