Travel/Tourism
Heritage Bank, NANTA to Launch Nigeria Travel Practitioner ID Card
By Dipo Olowookere
One of the financial institutions in the country, Heritage Bank Plc, has partnered with the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) to launch the Nigeria Travel Practitioners Identification Card (NTPIC).
Head of Corporate Communications of Heritage Bank, Mr Fela Ibidapo, said the bank partnered with the travel agencies in a bid to help to sensitize and sanitise the industry.
He said in an industry with unconfirmed member list of about 60,000, they felt they could help to create a platform that would enable them to provide better services to their clients in a bid to separate the genuine agents from the fraudulent ones.
Mr Ibidapo said the initiative would help the bank to put in place services that could help the genuine operators and the economy in the long run.
Also speaking, President of NANTA, Mr Bernard Bankole, said the idea of the identification card was birthed by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other stakeholders in the industry because of the need to sanitise and decontaminate the downstream sector of the industry.
He said the initiative has become imperative because the travel business in Nigeria has become one for all and sundry with absolute disregard for professionalism, adding that the global nature of the business has been adulterated by fraudulent people who have little or no regard for the business.
The president said the development has become worrisome with the level of default to the airlines as well as passengers losing their hard-earned money to the duplicitous travel agents.
Mr Bankole noted that this appalling act has continued for several years, undermining the professionalism of serious minded consultants within the industry, thereby threatening the existence of a business whose primary focus is to distribute inventories on behalf of the principals, who are the airlines.
The president noted that worried by this development, the executive council of NANTA, the umbrella body responsible for all travel agencies in the country, decided to find a lasting solution to the industry which contributed about N504 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017.
“We are of the strong belief that NTPIC will help to identify all the practitioners in the industry and put a check on them by ensuring that there is as proper database of all the agents in the industry as well as keeping statistical data that will the government to plan for the industry,” Mr Bankole said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to introduce V-Pass, a biometric facial recognition system designed to make passenger processing faster, safer and more seamless across its domestic airports.
According to FAAN, the new technology will allow passengers to verify their identities through facial recognition after a one-time enrolment, reducing reliance on physical identification documents and shortening queues through automated electronic gates.
The authority said the system is expected to enhance airport security while improving the overall travel experience for domestic passengers.
FAAN added that V-Pass has been developed with data privacy at its core and is compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
The agency described the initiative as part of its commitment to delivering smarter, technology-driven airport services and said nationwide sensitisation and rollout updates would be announced in due course.
Airports in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates already deploy facial recognition technology for processes such as check-in, security screening, immigration and boarding, so the move also aligns Nigeria’s aviation sector with a growing global trend towards contactless travel.
These systems have been adopted to improve operational efficiency, strengthen security and enhance the overall passenger experience.
For FAAN, the deployment of V-Pass forms part of its broader digital transformation agenda aimed at modernising airport operations and accommodating rising passenger traffic.
Experts say that beyond improving convenience, the authority expects the biometric platform to strengthen identity verification, reduce the risk of impersonation and support more efficient airport security, while maintaining compliance with data protection.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
