Andrew Iro Okungbowa 
Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHITOUR), Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa, has charged various operators in the tourism sector to ensure responsible tourism rules are upheld in their operations in view of global climate change. Kangiwa gave this charge in his message to participants at the 2022 Annual Master Lecture Series of NIHOTOUR, titled; Driving Global Climate Action Through Responsible Tourism/ Hospitality Business in Nigeria. He was represented at the event by the Institute Director of Research and Development, Dr. Taiwo Famogbiyele.
He called on them to proffer solutions, modalities and strategies for the mitigation against the unhealthy rise of climatic conditions threatening humanity globally. He cautioned on activities by the operators, which he said is contributing to the worsening climatic condition, noting the need to adhere to guidelines of mitigation procedures against environmental destabilization and pollution. Kangiwa, who stated that the climate changes being experienced at tourism destinations in the country in the form of extreme weather temperature, variable levels of rainfall, rise in sea levels and flooding, drought and desertification and land degradation are the effects of practices that negate the principles of sustainable tourism activities, also called for the discontinuation of the trend forthwith.
While in her address, the special guest of honour and Vice Chairperson, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Nora Ladi Daduut, called on operators to check some of their environmental unfriendly activities so as to curb the menace of climatic change bedeviling Nigeria and the global community at large.
Declaring the event opened through her representative, Mr. Isaac Aliyu, Senator Daduut, appealed to the participants to come up with workable documents for the Nigerian tourism and hospitality industry to operate its activities responsibly without undue interference to the eco system as well as safe guard the environment for the future generations. Also delivering a keynote address at the event, Dr. Ifeoma Adaora Anyanwutaku, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, represented by Mrs. Patricia Narai, Director of Domestic and Eco-Tourism Promotion and Control, stated efforts by the federal government to cut carbon emission to the barest minimum through responsible tourism and hospitality operations as part of the country’s contribution to global efforts at mitigating climatic change.
Anyanwutaku disclosed that Nigeria is highly committed to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Goal No 13 that seeks countries to take urgent actions to combat climate change globally and in particular, through enforcing responsible operations of tourism and hospitality practices that are not only environmentally friendly but as well sustainable.