Most hotel operators not aware of benefits of NTDC biometric exercise: HOPESEA official

The Hotel and Personal Services Employer’s Association of Nigeria (HOPESEA) has asked the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) to further educate the country’s hotel owners on its widely-publicized planned biometric data capture scheme for Nigerian hotel workers.

Reported in BusinessDay, Adeniyi Ologun, the Executive Secretary of HOPESEA made the comments in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria. According to the report, Ologun said most hotel operators were not aware of the importance of this exercise, urging the NTDC to carry out an enlightenment campaign on its benefits.

HOPESEA is still in discussions with the NTDC on the category of hotels’ staff to be captured as well as how the biometric machines would be logistically deployed.

In the report, Ologun also said that the association had not yet opposed the idea, indicating that only one branch has yet come out in opposition of the plans.

“HOPESEA is the parent body of hotels across the country. The Nigerian Hotels Association, which opposes the idea, is a branch of the association and cannot speak for all hoteliers,” Ologun said. “We have not said that we are not participating in the exercise, but we are still consulting with NTDC on how the process will be carried out.”

Reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, the NTDC announced its plans to create an electronic database of all hotel staff and personnel last year. The project, in partnership with Orbit Tech, aims to curb criminal activities taking place in the country’s hospitality industry.

This decision has angered many of the hotel workers, and the national union representing them. Despite Ologun’s recent comments about under-informed hoteliers, hotel owners recently came out to back the NTDC’s decision. 

Article Topics

authentication  |  biometric database  |  biometrics  |  security  |  workforce management