The Standards Organisation of Nigeria SON, has said that its newly completed hotel standardisation, which is the first and ever national framework on grading and classification of hotels in the hospitality industry would boost Foreign Direct Investment FDI, inflow when fully operational.

SON, Nigeria’s apex standards bureau had constituted a National Mirror Committee NMC on Tourism and related activities as part of efforts to create a working document for the regulation and standardisation of hospitality business in Nigeria.

The committee, inaugurated in April 2016, was charged with the responsibility of reviewing and adopting the International Standards Organisation (ISO/T228) and Africa Organisation for Standardisation set up by ECOWAS in accordance with international best practices for use in the tourism industry.

Director-General of SON, Osita Anthony Aboloma, who spoke in Lagos after a successful completion of the work by the committee, said if approved and operational, the new framework would boost activities in the tourism industry, build confidence in the products and services offered by the industry in Nigeria and thus attract the much needed FDI into the country.

The MD, who was represented by the head, Ogun State office 1 of the organisation, Mr Enebi Shaibu Onucheyo described  the new framework as a great achievement.

“The new framework if approved, would not only boost activities in the tourism industry, but also build confidence in the products and services offered by the industry in Nigeria”, the MD said.

He however commended the chairperson of the NM committee, who doubles as Director-General of the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism NIHOTOUT, Mrs. Chika Balogun, for a job well done.

He also commended other tourism associations and operators who have contributed to the success of the hotel standards document.

It was however gathered that the inputs of the various stakeholders made it possible to produce the document which would inturn be presented to SON’s council and the international community such as the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS, for approval after which it become operational.

Mrs. Balogun had while commenting on the new framework, said it has great potential for tourism as it would further boost the image of the country, inspire confidence in investors, encourage more investment, create jobs and wealth for the country.

She said: “This would not only attract FDI but also local and regional investments to the country and the tourism industry because investors would not want to put their money where they are not sure of growing their businesses”

She argued that with such an important document that has a framework of standards for hotels, it would boost the confidence of investors in the industry.

Stakeholders, who reacted to the establishment of the new standards, commended the organisation for the vision to move the hospitality industry and many other sectors of the Nigerian economy forward.