Abia Govt Waives Fees For Hospitality Classification Exercise

The Abia State Government has announced that owners of hotels, bars, lounges, and restaurants in the state will not be required to pay any fees for the upcoming hospitality grading and classification exercise.

This was disclosed on Thursday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Chibuzo Ehiemere, during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting for the hospitality and tourism sectors held in Aba.

The meeting was organised by the ministry as part of efforts to reposition the state’s hospitality industry.

Recall that the Abia State Government, through the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amena Hospitality and Tourism Innovative Technology to digitise and standardise the hospitality industry across the state.

Addressing stakeholders, Mrs. Ehiemere allayed concerns over possible charges associated with the grading exercise.

“I know that the unspoken question in your hearts right now is, ‘How much is government going to ask you to pay?’ But His Excellency has decided that this grading will be fully funded by the state and not by you,” she said.

The Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Mathew Ekwuribe, further explained the vision of Governor Alex Otti to unify and promote the hospitality industry in Abia State.

“The main purpose of this grading is to bring all the hospitality industry together and to expose them to travellers, so that visitors can have confidence in where they are going to stay,” Ekwuribe explained.

“We are therefore calling on all hospitality establishments in the state to collaborate with the government to achieve this goal.”

The commissioner also revealed that the initiative extends beyond hotels and restaurants to the development of tourism destinations across the state.

“Currently, there are 55 natural heritage sites discovered in the state to be developed into tourist centres. These include Azummiri River, Aro Waterfall, gigantic caves in different parts of the state, and many others,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Amena Hospitality and Tourism Innovative Technology, Edosa Eghobamien, noted that the grading and classification exercise would help hospitality establishments in Abia align with global best practices.

“The Hospitality and Tourism Grading and Classification is a systematic evaluation process used to assess establishments based on standardised service delivery, facility infrastructure, operational efficiency, hygiene compliance, safety practices, and customer experience benchmarks,” Eghobamien explained.

He added that the initiative would enhance competitiveness, boost investor confidence, and position Abia State as a preferred hospitality and tourism destination in Nigeria and beyond.