Guardian

THE Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is to commence the registration of hotel workers across the country in an effort to ensure safety and security of users of hospitality outfits.

The registration exercise is in partnership with Orbit Technologies and Investment Limited, a private security firm.

Speaking at the unveiling of the project ceremony yesterday in Abuja, the Director General of NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, said that it signals a new era in ensuring that only genuine people work in hotels in order to guarantee the total security of tourists and visitors to the country.

Runsewe noted it has become necessary to integrate every staff working in the hospitality industry in a single database, which will be monitored by NTDC as a way of checking the movement of staff to avoid fraudulent people within the industry.

He emphasized the need to maintain a viable database to encourage foreign direct investment in the hospitality sector according to international standards.

Chief Executive Director of Orbit Technologies and Investment Limited, Mr. Yakubu Ochefu, stated that the essence of the move was to checkmate vices and criminal activities in the industry.

Ochefu explained that pilot phase of the project would commence in Abuja with the hope of incorporating other parts of the country before the end of the year.

The idea of introducing biometric technology for staff of hotels and related hospitality outfits in Nigeria started last year following series of meetings with major stakeholders, culminating in the introduction of a consortium of three IT outfits to the President of the Hotel Employers and Personal Services Association of Nigeria (HOPSEA), Chief Samuel Alabi, who led a delegation of seasoned hoteliers to the tourism village, Abuja.