Dr. Wasiu Babalola, a rising star in the hospitality sector, is the chief executive officer of EcoSignature Hospitality Services and managing director of Swiss International Hotels (Switzerland), West Africa, the newest international brand to the Nigerian market and also the honourary secretary of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Nigeria branch, he speaks ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA on his various engagements and fate of the hospitality sector.
The beginning
Even though he describes his sojourn in the hospitality world as purely accidental, however, he attributes it to God: “I will rather give the inspiration to God. I got into the profession by accident; due to the fact that I do not want to stay idle for a year sitting for another university entrance examination (JAMB) but then, interest built and I found myself wanting to do more for myself and so on.” With such inspiration, Babalola proceeded to earn a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Hotel and Catering and thus began his romance with the industry, where as a youngster he made quite an impression on the various people and organisations that he has had to work with. The motivation to the height he has achieved in a little less than two decades of his joining the industry, he says is as a result of the advice from his lecturers during his polytechnic days and elders in the industry who have mentored him.
“My experiences in the industry cover that of a student, employee, lecturer, manager, author, trainer, consultant, and also investor among others. Each role with its own challenges but I thank God for where I am at the moment and where He is taking me to,” he says of his sojourn. One thing that has stood him out is the fact that has over the years carved a niche for himself in a very distinct aspect of the vast industry: “I have developed a special interest in the field of marketing and corporate strategy and have publications that demonstrated the synergy between the knowledge of marketing and the practices of hospitality and tourism,” he reveals.
Challenges
“First and foremost, this industry is the most unregulated industry in Nigeria in which anybody can go into once he has the money without following any guidelines. The challenges are there depending on which side of the coin you face. The numbers of PhD holders in hospitality and tourism are not enough compared to the numbers of universities offering the courses, yet government is not dedicating enough funds into research for the sector. With increase in numbers of international brands in the country, we are already experiencing shortage of qualified manpower; hence, many of the brands turn to graduates from other disciplines to meet the shortages which also have its own service standards issues and other drawbacks.
Milestones
“There may have been considerable gains of late but when compared to other less developed countries then you ask yourself if such should be celebrated. But for the records, we now have government at all levels talking about hospitality and tourism without a master plan or actions for execution. It is a plus that all levels of government are talking at least. We now have more universities offering hospitality and tourism courses at B.Sc. and Masters levels; one university creating a school for tourism, Hospitality and event management. The Judiciary has also helped in defining who should grade, yet no acceptable grading system on offer. The only economic milestone is that the industry has helped in reducing the numbers of unemployed youth, which has been due to stable politics and security in some places. This is an economic milestone and not industry specifics.”
Attractions for international brands
“Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and the most populous black nation in the world. In fact, Nigeria remains one of the few countries globally that has a robust internal demand that can support its economy. So, if you are not in Nigeria, then you are not in Africa,” he says of the attraction for every international brand fighting to set up shop in Nigeria. For him, the battle for space is just beginning, as he discloses that more of the international brands are gearing up to have a foot hood in the country. Besides a robust market, he says the relative stable polity and crisis in the Middle East region have helped to boost the industry.
On indigenous brands
Why he acknowledges that a number of the Nigerian brands have succeeded in setting some amount of standard in the industry, however, he rues the inability of the brands to compete outside the shores of the country, a situation, which he says is responsible for many of them not earning the deserved respect.
Dearth of manpower
“There is death of qualified manpower in the sector, hence the need for training and retraining of the employees. This is where the international brands differ from the unbranded hotels. Most international brands have internal training mechanism in ensuring their staff are up to date in their service delivery. Practically, the unbranded hotels do not even have budget for staff training, they hardly send staff out to attend trainings or workshops. We all keep blaming the educational sector for not giving to the industry quality workers but what do you expect from an excellent recruit without induction or re-training? Such will soon rust!”
Institute of hospitality
The institute has a rich history dating back to the 1930s but it berthed in Nigeria in 2010. It is opened to operators across the various strata of the industry and provides strong professional services for the members.
Babalola says of its legacy thus: “This legacy has provided the institute with a rich and diverse community of members, reflecting the broad span of the tourism, hospitality and leisure industry.
On Swiss International Hotels
“Our hotels are located in urban areas or in top quality resort locations. We are great believers in offering consistent quality levels. That is why we work with concepts and systems. That applies to our hotels, be it the luxury Royal Swiss Hotel, the upscale Swiss International Hotels or Swiss Spirit Inn, Hotels and Suites. The same applies to our restaurants, bars, meetings and events spaces and our leisure facilities. They are all branded and based on thought-through concepts.
“The Swiss International Brands has become the fastest growing hospitality brand in West Africa with functional hotels in Port Harcourt (Swiss International Mabisel), Lagos (Swiss International D’Palms Airport), Freetown (Swiss Spirit) with Asaba (Swiss Spirit, Mardezok) due for opening in November; and about 10 signings under development in Abuja, Kano, Enugu, Benin, Makurdi, Ibadan, Lome (Togo), and Mali among others. Our target is to be the preferred brand of choice in all the markets will operate in.”
Advice to government
“We need measurable targets with accompanying actions. This will improve the economic confidence that has been triggering the growth of the industry of recent. The tourism master plan should also be reconsidered for execution. The issues of grading of hotels will be more effective where government encourages private-sector participation in its processes, among others.’’
No comments:
Post a Comment