The Nigerian Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has officially launched its “Welcome Home” pilot programme at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. The initiative was established as an immediate, practical response to support hundreds of Nigerian citizens recently repatriated on emergency flights following a June 30, 2026, deadline issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa.
Rather than issuing a standard institutional statement, NIHOTOUR partnered with leading creative agency X3M Ideas to build a physical, comprehensive welcome system directly at the point of arrival.
“They said go home. We say welcome home,” said Aare (Dr.) Abisoye Fagade, Director General and CEO of NIHOTOUR. “That message, lit up at the gateway to Lagos for every Nigerian returning from South Africa, is more than a billboard, it is NIHOTOUR living out the Renewed Hope Agenda. From the gateway to the arrival hall at MMIA, we are meeting our citizens with dignity, not just sympathy.”
To ensure a seamless path to reintegration, the “Welcome Home” programme bypasses traditional arrival processing by introducing a specially branded Welcome Corridor at MMIA. This pathway directs returnees to immediate support and provides them with a Returnee Card, which grants a free first night at partner hotels, fast-tracked business registration support, and immediate transport assistance.
In alignment with the federal focus on human capital development, NIHOTOUR is also offering returnees free training, certification, and job placement within the hospitality and tourism sector. “This is renewed hope in action,” Fagade said. “We are turning a difficult moment into a real opportunity, right here at home, for Nigerians, by Nigerians.”
Furthermore, the initiative features a dedicated Restart Desk to assist returnee entrepreneurs and tradespeople with job placement referrals and business registration, alongside a public Homecoming Counter that tracks the number of returnees welcomed, businesses restarted, and jobs facilitated.
“This wasn’t built as a campaign about a crisis,” said Steve Babaeko, Group CEO and Chief Creative Officer of X3M Ideas. “It was a hospitality agency deciding what it owes its own citizens, the moment they land.”
Following this initial pilot phase at MMIA Lagos, NIHOTOUR intends to evaluate the outcomes to guide the expansion of the programme to additional international airports across Nigeria.
