President and Founder of Sailors’ Lounge, Mr Eyitayo Fakehinde, has called on federal and state governments to provide grants and allocate specific budgets for the hospitality industry, saying they should do this to encourage the sector as it is being done to others.
Fakehinde made the call while speaking with newsmen in Lagos and pointed at the concessions the oil and gas industry and exporters were getting, saying that the funding could be used for infrastructure development, marketing campaigns, training programmes, and other initiatives aimed at boosting the industry.
This was just as he sadly noted that it was becoming more difficult to run any business with the increased price of raw materials, growing inflation, and the increased price of petrol and diesel, among others.
“The government can make low-interest loans available to people within the industry and improve power supply.
“We see the concessions the oil and gas industry and exporters are getting, but the hospitality industry is not encouraged in any way.
“In fact, I believe the tourism sector is under attack as we have too many fees and taxes to pay.
“With the increased price of raw materials, growing inflation, increased prices of petrol and diesel, increased light costs, etc., it is becoming more difficult to run any business within this space,” he said.
Speaking further, Fakehinde said business owners in the hospitality industry had been able to contribute positively to society; hence, financial support by the government would be appreciated.
According to him, over 100 staffers are currently employed at Sailors Lounge, which has been revamped to become a beacon of light for the hospitality industry and real estate in Nigeria and Africa in general.
He, however, called on the youths to do better by contributing to the development of the country, saying that nobody would do it if they chose not to develop Nigeria with their contributions to any sector.
“We are the government. The government is made of human beings who have chosen to serve.
“If we do not choose to develop Nigeria with our contributions to any sector, who will?
“We see lots of Nigerians investing all their funds outside the country and won’t put any in Nigeria; I think that is wrong.
“Let’s do better. Real estate is a great way to invest, as it is inflation-proof.
“The hospitality sector has grown tremendously since we started, but there is still room for growth and more investment is needed,” he said.
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