FG Loses Power To Regulate Hotel, Restaurant Businesses In States

[Shola Sholaz]

The Supreme Court sitting in Abuja Friday held that it is only a State House of Assembly that can make laws on tourism, licensing and grading of hotels, restaurants and other hospitality businesses in a state.
.
Dismissing the case filed by the Federal Government challenging the powers of Lagos State government to regulate hotels and restaurant businesses in the state, the apex court held that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, only empowers the National Assembly to regulate on tourist traffic not on hotel registration or licensing.
.
Culture & Tourism Minister, Edem Duke Therefore the Supreme Court declared that both the Hotel Licensing Law of Lagos State (as amended) and the Hotel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Law of Lagos State, were valid laws, while the offending sections of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corpora-tion (NTDC) Act were declared null and void.