NIHOTOUR, SUNTRUST BANK TO PARTNER ON E-COMMERCE BENEFICIAL TO HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INDUSTRY

L: Halima Buba, MD/CEO, SunTrust Bank LTD and R: Alhaji Nura S Kangiwa DG NIHOTOUR, posed for photograph during the courtesy to NIHOTOUR headquarters by Management of the Bank

The Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa said, as a capacity building and training provider in the Nigerian Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry, the Institute is committed to taking the industry to same pedestal with countries of East Africa in high level tourism and hospitality operations, growth and performance.

Nura Kangiwa who stated this when Management of SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited led by the Managing Director, Halima Buba paid the Director General a courtesy visit at the NIHOTOUR headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, noted that the Nigerian Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry is in dire need of collaboration from lined-sector and critical players like the banking industry to move the industry out of the woods.

While stating that the value chain in the Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry is so vast that if adequately explored, has the potential to create jobs, generate revenue into the national coffers and ameliorate the scourge of poverty in the country, expressed delight that the SunTrust Bank has shown interest and passion to bring its value services into the industry, particularly in the deployment of electronic and website commerce and financial transactions.

He expressed happiness and confidence that SunTrust Bank’s partnership with NIHOTOUR will bring value in the discharge of the Institute’s core mandates and vision-objectives and by extension, contribute to the growth and development to the Nigerian Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry.

Earlier in her speech, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited, Halima Buba said her bank recognized the importance and economic value of the Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry and the bank is willing to venture into the sector with the objective of bringing financial and banking values to effect the desired change in lifting the industry to a higher level.

She noted that modern business operations require the application of digital technology which her bank is bringing to bear in the operational value chains of the Nigerian tourism industry.

While the technical staff of the bank gave detailed description on how the website platform would be deployed in the digital service operations in financial payments and collection of the Institute, the Director for Research and General Studies of NIHOTOUR, Dr. Taiwo Famogbiyele sought the bank to extend its services to assisting graduates of the Institute’s vocational skill programs in seed funding to start businesses of their own; undertake promotional and corporate branding of the bank at NIHOTOUR programs and functions, as well as the deployment of the banks facilities for e-learning of the Institute’s Course Programs nationwide.