The Abia Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Chief Matthew Ekwuribe, has affirmed government’s
commitment to creating an enabling environment to grow and strengthen the hospitality and tourism sectors.
Ekwuribe said this at the opening of a two-day stakeholders’ engagement for the hospitality and tourism sectors in Umuahia, on Wednesday.
He said that the state was poised to put the necessary measures in place to attract investment, generate employment and position the state as a preferred tourism destination in the country.
He also said that the Gov. Alex Otti’s administration remained focused on repositioning the hospitality and tourism sector to achieve sustainable growth and enhance competitiveness across the state.
Ekwuribe urged operators in the industry to align their operations with government’s reform initiatives, adopt global best practices and leverage technology to improve service delivery and enhance customer satisfaction levels.
He also charged industry stakeholders to embrace innovation, standardisation and strategic partnerships as essential drivers necessary to stimulate growth and ensure long-term sustainability within the industry.
He reiterated the State Government’s resolve to upgrade standard through a comprehensive inspection, grading and classification across the hospitality and tourism establishments statewide.
He said the initiative was designed to address poor maintenance culture, improve operational standards and ensure facilities comply with acceptable industry benchmarks and regulatory requirements.
Ekwuribe explained that the infusion of technology would enable customers to share real-time experiences, thereby encouraging operators to maintain high standards and continuously improve service delivery.
“Proper grading and classification will make facilities more attractive to visitors locally and internationally, positioning Abia as a competitive tourism destination,” the commissioner said.
The event was organised by the ministry, in collaboration with Amena Hospitality and Tourism Innovation Technology Solution to strengthen industry coordination.
In a speech. the Managing Director of the tech firm, Mr Edosa Eghobamien, said that the forum would expose participants to emerging trends and digital solutions.
Eghobamien said that the integration of technology into hospitality operations, including bookings, customer experience management, data analytics and marketing, had become indispensable in the evolving global tourism landscape.
He expressed his organisation’s commitment to supporting the State Government in building a competitive and sustainable tourism ecosystem through sustained collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders.
According to him, stronger collaboration between government and industry operators will boost revenue generation, enhance visibility and stimulate meaningful growth within the hospitality and tourism sectors.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Chibuzo Ehiemere, described hospitality and tourism as critical pillars supporting the state’s broader economic diversification and development strategy.
Ehiemere said that the ministry remained committed to repositioning the tourism industry to meet modern standards, enhance competitiveness and contribute meaningfully to sustainable economic growth across the state.
In separate remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Hotels Association, Abia State chapter, Mr Charles Ezeala, and a hotelier, Mr Ikenna Oham, described the engagement as timely.
They said that continuous dialogue and periodic policy reviews were necessary to sustain growth, boost patronage and expand economic opportunities for the people and industry operators alike.
The stakeholders commended the governor for the ongoing reforms and called for a more business-friendly tax regime to ease operational pressures on hotel owners and encourage more investments in the sector.
