TheCable

The federal government says it has paid 2,186 companies that has a total of 12,117 employees under its payroll support scheme as part of efforts to mitigate effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, disclosed this on Monday at the take-off of Nigerian Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) north-central zonal headquarters in Benue state.

Mohammed said these companies are from federal government’s N75 billion survival fund for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“Federal government has been doing a lot to alleviate the impact of the pandemic, especially as it affects the creative and tourism sector,” he said.

“Through its N75 billion survival fund for micro, small and medium enterprises, federal government has paid 2,186 to companies employing 12,117 individuals under the payroll support, as part of the efforts to cushion the effects of the pandemic.”

According to him, Nigeria’s travel, hospitality, tourism and other related services have over one million private establishments employing over 9.8 million persons in 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mohammed said Nigeria’s hospitality industry contributed about 4.8 percent to total gross domestic product (GDP) and utilized about 1.6 percent of Nigerians in 2016.

He said, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) 2019 hospitality report, Nigerian hospitality industry was expected to grow by 12 percent till 2023, adding that this makes it one of the fastest growing markets before COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now, one of the prerequisites for tourism to develop and play its desired role in the socio-economic life of a nation is availability of well-trained personnel.

“This forms the basis for the federal government’s decision to have a specialised training institution for the hospitality and tourism industry in Nigeria, which culminated in the establishment of NIHOTOUR.”

Mohammed thanked Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue state, for building and donating an edifice to NIHOTOUR and described the gesture as a giant stride in development of tourism in Benue and Nigeria.