Marriott MD outlines key drivers for tourism growth, foreign investment

Chike Ogeah on tourism investment stresses Nigeria must protect contracts, boost security and infrastructure to attract foreign capital

The Managing Director of McFolly Hospitality Ltd, owners of the Ikeja Marriott Hotel, spoke on C-Suite Café hosted by Ikem Okuhu, where he highlighted tourism as a key driver of economic growth if properly managed.

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“There are things that must be guaranteed for foreign direct investment to thrive. One of them is the sanctity of contracts.

Investors do not want to be in situations where rules change overnight,” Ogeah said. He called for deliberate, consistent policies that reassure foreign partners.

According to him, tourism agencies must be staffed by forward-thinking specialists capable of unlocking the sector’s potential.

“Tourism and hospitality are big game changers globally. Nigeria has to bring in sophisticated technocrats to drive the process,” he advised.

Ogeah noted that Nigeria’s challenge is not a lack of ideas but the absence of continuity and vision. He argued that the country’s strong natural and cultural brand needs to be harnessed into a coherent national proposition.

He also warned against the habit of Nigerians speaking negatively about their country.

“Badmouthing Nigeria will not enhance its standing before the world. We must project our hospitality, industriousness and resilience as national assets,” he said.

On the sector’s structural needs, he identified security and infrastructure as the two most pressing concerns.

“You need good roads and transport to access tourist sites, and visitors must feel safe. Capital needs peace to settle, and tourism depends on security,” he explained.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s decline relative to peers such as South Korea, Malaysia and the UAE, Ogeah said the nation must rediscover the purposeful vision of its founding fathers.

“Our leaders in the 1960s left more impact. What have today’s governors done?” he asked.

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Despite the challenges, Ogeah insisted that Nigeria retains immense potential. With deliberate planning, protection of investment, and a renewed commitment to security and infrastructure, the country could transform tourism into a magnet for capital and a source of pride.