Joel Ajayi
The National President of Ringo Sport Club Nigeria (RSCN), Malam Ahmed Mohammed Sule, has presented the prestigious National Sports Tourism Conference and Exhibition (NASTOCE) 2026 Meritorious Awards to two of Nigeria’s foremost tourism leaders in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the growth of the country’s tourism industry and sports tourism development.
The recipients are the National President of the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN), Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, and the President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Dr. Badaki Aliyu.
The awards were presented during separate ceremonies at the recipients’ offices in Abuja.
Speaking during the presentations, Sule said the honours were in recognition of the recipients’ exceptional leadership, professionalism and strategic contributions towards strengthening tourism development while promoting the growing synergy between sports and tourism as catalysts for Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
According to him, Chief Odusanwo has distinguished himself as a transformative leader whose efforts have significantly advanced the professionalisation of Nigeria’s tourism sector.
He noted that under Odusanwo’s leadership, the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria has continued to champion standards, capacity building and competitiveness within the industry, positioning it for sustainable growth.
Sule also highlighted Odusanwo’s wealth of international experience, which includes tourism consultancy, harmonisation of tourism education in Europe, advisory roles to the World Bank and the World Trade Organization on Nigeria’s trade policy, as well as his leadership as Chairman of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria’s National Mirror Committee on Tourism and Related Services.
The Ringo Sport Club President equally commended Dr. Badaki Aliyu for his unwavering commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s tourism industry through the Tourism Transformation Movement initiative.
He explained that the initiative focuses on institutional strengthening, policy advocacy, public-private partnerships, capacity development, as well as greater inclusion of youths and women in tourism leadership.
Sule described Dr. Badaki as a respected tourism practitioner whose leadership journey—from Blissy Hospitality to serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hotel Managers Association of Nigeria (HATMAN) and now President of FTAN—has been marked by advocacy for unity, recovery and strategic collaboration across the tourism ecosystem.
He said the recognition of both leaders underscores the importance of visionary leadership and professionalism in driving Nigeria’s sports tourism agenda.
According to him, their commitment to excellence and collaboration will continue to unlock the enormous socio-economic opportunities that exist at the intersection of sports and tourism.
Responding to the honour, Dr. Badaki Aliyu applauded Ringo Sport Club for pioneering Nigeria’s first platform dedicated to bringing together key stakeholders from both the sports and tourism sectors to explore the economic opportunities within the sports tourism value chain.
He said the initiative has created an avenue for government institutions and private sector operators to forge meaningful partnerships capable of transforming sports tourism into a major contributor to the nation’s economy.
While pledging the continued support of private sector operators in the tourism industry to the activities of the Ringo Sport Club, Dr. Badaki urged the Federal Government to institutionalise the collaboration between sports and tourism through the establishment of a National Council on Sports Tourism.
Similarly, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo congratulated the Ringo Sport Club for successfully organising the maiden National Sports Tourism Conference and Exhibition (NASTOCE), describing the initiative as a landmark achievement for both sectors.
He expressed appreciation for the National Sports Tourism Meritorious Award (NASTMA), noting that the recognition would further motivate him to intensify efforts aimed at building a globally competitive workforce while advancing the professionalisation of Nigeria’s travel, tourism, hospitality and allied industries.
The maiden edition of NASTOCE, held on May 12, 2026, was themed “Leveraging the Intersection of Multi-Sectoral MDAs to Promote Sports Tourism in Nigeria.”
The conference, the first of its kind in Nigeria, was established as an annual event to provide a platform for knowledge sharing, investment promotion, networking and collaboration among stakeholders in the sports and tourism industries.
Organisers have already confirmed that the second edition of the conference will take place from May 4 to 5, 2027, with expectations that it will further strengthen partnerships and showcase the immense economic potential of sports tourism as a driver of national development.
