It is with a heavy heart that I write this piece, a careful and timely reminder that the once vibrant and inspiring Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) is gradually slipping into irrelevance.
This month marks one year since the federation changed leadership, a transition that many had hoped would sustain industry visibility, acceptance, empowerment, and socio-economic relevance.
Founded several decades ago, the federation was seeded under the interim leadership of the late Teresa Ezeobi, the first female President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), and later nurtured by Goddie Ibru, its first substantive president. Through the years, FTAN has experienced both commendable and disappointing leadership eras.
Until the emergence of Nkereuwem Onung, the federation had often been administered by individuals whose ideas deviated from the founding vision and objectives of the organisation. Sadly, we appear to have returned to a place many believed we had left behind, a period marked by stagnation, limited innovation, and a lack of transformative leadership.
Many expected a new era defined by strategic thinking, institutional growth, and stakeholder-driven development. Instead, what we are witnessing is an unsettling display of noise, confusion, and leadership inadequacy.
Rather than demonstrating grace, competence, and vision, the current leadership seems consumed by the pursuit of validation, comparisons, and self-congratulation. It is steadily positioning itself on the wrong side of history while members of the federation, once fiercely independent and vocal, now appear resigned to silence.
Today, FTAN has become an epicentre of avoidable conflicts. It quarrels with virtually every institution or initiative within its sight. Its capacity for unification and sectoral growth has been replaced by a troubling inclination toward division, confrontation, and resistance to tourism reforms.
Within just one year, the federation has eroded many of the modest gains recorded in previous years. It has failed to properly interpret, articulate, and reposition the value of culture and tourism to a nation that desperately needs a deeper understanding of the sector’s economic potential.
The federation, once respected for bringing together diverse stakeholders, has now become a promoter of endless boxing matches, acting simultaneously as contestant, referee, spectator, and judge. Unsurprisingly, many sponsors and development partners have distanced themselves from this culture of perpetual conflict. The only visible ally it appears to retain is the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, who seems more tolerant of its excesses than genuinely aligned with them.
We used to have respected elders in this industry, experienced, accomplished, and humble leaders whose interventions commanded respect. Where are those elders today? What has become of those who conceal mischief behind the guise of support and create factions while pretending to serve the collective interest of the industry?
Some of these elders, dressed in flowing Agbada and clothed in the appearance of wisdom, hide behind influence and symbolism to encourage division and mob-style reactions.
What exactly has this leadership achieved in one year? Where is its impact? Where is its visibility? Where is its contribution to the advancement of tourism in Nigeria?
If there is one phrase that accurately captures the federation’s performance so far, it is this: *letter writing.*
Unfortunately, FTAN has institutionalised incompetence and failed to present any coherent reform agenda. It lacks strategic intelligence and has elevated reactionary mob tactics above constructive engagement, negotiation, and policy intervention.
The National Bureau of Statistics remains one of the most important platforms through which the economic contributions of tourism can be properly documented and recognised. Yet a federation that appears uncomfortable with professionalism, research, and capacity development cannot effectively advocate for the industry’s place in national planning. Consequently, tourism continues to suffer from inadequate budgetary recognition despite its immense potential for job creation and economic growth.
A national stakeholders’ meeting is scheduled to hold in Abuja next Wednesday. Yet what is the federation’s response?
Instead of constructive engagement, we are witnessing what resembles a Benito Mussolini-style approach to leadership, an attempt to oppose virtually every government reform while simultaneously expecting government officials to validate such opposition.
No policy or reform is perfect. However, responsible organisations approach policy disagreements with open-mindedness, patriotism, and a willingness to engage. Governments operate within established legal and administrative frameworks, and reforms are often improved through dialogue rather than hostility.
The campaign to abolish both the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) and the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) regulatory frameworks over perceived overlaps reflects a poor understanding of governance and legislative realities.
A closer examination of Nigeria’s institutional landscape reveals numerous cases of overlapping mandates and conflicting laws. Addressing such challenges requires patience, strategic lobbying, stakeholder engagement, and legislative advocacy, not threats of boycotts and public grandstanding.
Attempts to direct or pressure members of a federated organisation to boycott a lawful stakeholders’ engagement amount to little more than chasing shadows. Independent member associations should be free to attend, contribute, and express their views without coercion.
In my view, the federation has lost focus regarding the NIHOTOUR regulatory initiative. Rather than facilitating informed debate, it appears more interested in confrontation than solutions.
Meanwhile, serious issues affecting tourism and hospitality continue to receive little or no attention from the federation.
In Kebbi State and other parts of northern Nigeria, there have been reports of state-backed enforcement actions targeting hotels and hospitality establishments, including the arrest of guests over alleged violations of religious codes. One would expect a federation with a national mandate to engage such matters robustly, given their implications for tourism development and investment confidence. Yet the silence has been deafening.
The federation has also failed to take a meaningful position on the burden of multiple taxation affecting tourism and hospitality businesses. It has not effectively engaged relevant federal and state agencies to pursue tax harmonisation or advocate for a more business-friendly operating environment.
Workshops, seminars, policy dialogues, and industry consultations have become increasingly rare. Yet declarations of conflict and battle lines emerge with remarkable speed, often without broad stakeholder consultation.
For these reasons, I intend to pay closer attention to the affairs of this federation and speak more openly when necessary. Many of us have invested time, energy, and goodwill into its growth and advancement. What we are witnessing today is not what we envisioned.
As a stakeholder, I encourage others within the tourism industry to speak up. When positive changes occur, they deserve support and recognition. However, the federation’s current posture is neither productive nor sustainable, and I will continue to oppose it where necessary.
Enough of the mob mentality. Enough of the politics of division. Enough of the needless confrontations that distract from the real work of building a thriving tourism industry.
This is Nigeria. No union, association, or federation is bigger than the country.
Enough.
