By Yemisi Suleiman

Samuel Alabi, a lawyer by profession never dreamt of working in an hotel but his intelligence and diligence while on national youth service, in 1990, at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, got him employment as the company’s legal officer. Twenty years on, Mr. Alabi has moved up the ladder and he is currently, the company’s secretary and legal adviser. He is also president of Hotel and Tourism Association of Nigeria charged with the responsibility of providing legal advice for important hotel and leisure projects.

He is set to bring promising new developments to Nigeria’s tourism by broadening the horizon for owners of hotels through Hotel and Personnel Services Lawyers Association’s ( HOPSEA) national conference and international exhibition scheduled to hold in August at the Eko Hotel & Suites.

Aimed at developing strategies to grow every sub-sector within the industry for profitability, the conference tagged “The Nigerian Hotel Climate” will include a public lecture on ‘Nigeria hospitality climate: Contentious and Mitigation’ by the Director General of Tourism and Development.

In this encounter, Mr. Alabi, speaks more on the conference, the hospitality industry as it affects tourism and life in general.

What is the main objective of the conference and awards?

We have seen a lot of organisations that have nothing to do with hospitality that are coming up with hospitality awards; only for them to squeeze out money from awardees. We are investors in this sector so if there is anyone to give credence to any body, we stand as number one. Secondly, we want to correct the impression that you can only be appreciated if you pay money to award-giving organisations. We want to create a standard that others will follow.

The hospitality business is more than thirty years in Nigeria. We started in 1980 and we are established by law. We felt that it was high time for us to show the world those who are genuine contributors to the hospitality business. Incidentally, we are not making noise like we should but now, we have decided to go out and tell our story and let people hear from us.

We would appreciate genuine investors who have contributed to the hospitality business. We are appreciating them for what they have done in the past and the things that they are about to do. Participants coming from outside Lagos would be accommodated free as a way of saying ‘thank you for their past contributions.

So, the whole idea is to evaluate the journey so far and map out success strategies for the future and strengthen unity within the industry. We hope to create an image for the Nigerian hotels and hospitality industry and drive awareness for the association and the industry as a whole. As part of the celebration, we would honour and celebrate stakeholders who have distinguished themselves in promoting the industry and it would be a night of glitz and glamour.

Who are the recipients of the awards?

There are people who started hotel business in Nigeria as far back as 1987. We also have pioneer hotels that were established at that time. There is no way you will talk about development in the hospitality industry that you will not refer to them. It is this segment of society that we want to appreciate; not necessarily the managers alone. We would appreciate the managers, the investors, and other allied products that are linked to the hospitality business and have helped the industry to be where it is today.

How would you rate the hospitality industry in Nigeria? Has it, in any way, promoted the development of tourism in the country?

I can say that the hospitality industry has gone far in Nigeria, in terms of development. It’s a multifarious environment. You know tourism has to do with the environment and when you have a situation where infrastructural facilities are bad, where people have to rely on 24 hours’ alternative power supply, there is no security, movement of guests to tourism or hospitality establishments is difficult, no jobs, no funds to renovate, maintain and keep up with international standards, these are some of the challenges that we face.

Through our involvement with the Ministry of Tourism and Social Development, we are trying to visit the issue of tourism development which has to do with government policy. There should be cheap funds accessible to stakeholders in the industry with the hospitality sub-sector having the lion share. That is one of our plans. We also want to make accessible for potential investors in the hospitality sub-sector, physical relief that are available to them; if they set up such an establishment, what do they stand to gain? All these we believe are issues the seminar will address and they will go a long way to encourage investors to come on board. It is funny that in Nigeria, even the stakeholders in the industry talk about tourism and tourist designations for international tourists without encouraging our elite to participate in the consumption of domestic tourism product. So, Nigerians have not patronised our products. As long as we call on only foreign tourists, our tourist industry will not be truly active. The average elite in Nigeria will rather go abroad for seminars and vacations than take their children to Lagos, Yankari Games Reserve, Obudu Cattle Ranch or to even Maduguri on holidays or site seeing. As long as we do not visit these tourist sites, these tourism products will remain unconsumed; which means little financial revenue will be generated.

What is wrong with Nigerian policy on local tourism?

Nigerian policy is suffering from inconsistency; the government will come out with a good plan but the plan ends up at the launching venue with fanfare and so much money spent. I believe that government can help us to be consistent through the implementation of policy. Once this is done, we would be on the right path. When the former president came on board in 2003, he made it a deliberate policy to develop tourism. As a matter of fact, he set up a presidential tourism committee which he headed himself.

Unfortunately, the master plan that was later produced as a result of these activities was not implemented. From January 2006 till now, nothing has happened. These are the problems; government comes up with programmes and these programs don’t see the light of day. For us to succeed, planning is crucial but implementation and follow-up of such programmes are very crucial.

Of what use is this seminar to the average Nigerian?

You see, an average Nigerian sees a hotel as a place meant for certain selected people and some people have the ignorant perception that hotel is meant for ungodly persons and purpose, as a place of sin etc. but that is not so. A hotel is a place where you can rest, even within the town or city that you reside. You can take time off to rest and cool your nerves. There are facilities there that have the capacity of increasing your life span. So, the seminar will enable people to know that hotel is more than a place where people go to commit sin. It is a place that we all need as a matter of necessity. These are part of the orientation we want to achieve through this seminar.

How has it been working as Eko Hotel’s company lawyer all these years?

Everyday, I ask myself when it will end because each day comes with its own challenges. When I feel that there are no more tasks ahead, that we have resolved a pressing challenge, almost immediately, something else comes up. So, we thank God that He has been faithful to us in the discharge of our responsibility. My task is enormous and I thank God.

How do you hope the conference will impact society?

Positive! By the time investors are aware of what benefits they stand to gain, we believe that they will put in more effort. We have a tourism master plan in Nigeria which was developed by Ministry of Tourism with the assistance of the United Nations Development Council but up till date, it has not been implemented. A lot of money was sunk into it; all the effort put together to develop the master plan ended up on somebody’s table. Whether it is vision 2020 or vision what ever, the issue is that for the tourism development or for the hospitality business to develop, we need to have accessible funds, adequate fiscal review and upgrade of infrastructure. Where there are bad roads, it is discouraging for would-be investor. Then there is the issue of security; where armed robbers or kidnappers have easy access to kidnap clients from their hotel rooms, that is more than enough to close down the hotel. Except government looks into it, whatever recommendations that they are packaging under their Vision 2020 is nothing.

How has being in the legal profession influenced your dress sense?

Because of the type of training I had as a lawyer, wearing of suits and conventional dresses have been part of my life, because of the ethics of my profession. I find it strange to come to the office in casual outfits.

How do you relax?

On weekends, I go out in t-shirts short sleeve shirts and sometimes in Ankara

What has being in the hospitality business done for you?

Being a lawyer with little responsibility and powers available to me, I have been able to dine with the lowly and the mighty. A company secretary is like a door to the company, any government relations, board interactions are done through my office, so that has brought me in contact with a lot of good people.

What challenges do you encounter in the course of doing your job?

Time is my greatest predicament, because I have too many commitments. I try as much as possible to fast track most of my work so that I won’t be found wanting.