The President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Dr. Aliyu Badaki, has called for the establishment of a National Tourism Police Unit and the deployment of smart security technologies across the country’s tourist destinations, stressing that safety remains the foundation for unlocking Nigeria’s tourism potential.
Badaki made the call while presenting a paper titled “Tourism Policing: Key to Sustainable Community-Based Tourism” at the maiden edition of the National Tourism Safety and Security Technology Conference and Trade Show 2026.
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He explained that modern tourists no longer just ask what attractions a destination offers, but also want assurance of safety, emergency response, and a welcoming environment, noting that these factors now heavily influence travel decisions globally.
The FTAN president described tourism policing as a specialised security approach that goes beyond conventional law enforcement to include community engagement, crime prevention, emergency response, intelligence gathering, and technology deployment, positioning tourism police officers as both security personnel and hospitality ambassadors.
Citing international examples, Badaki noted that countries such as Spain, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Rwanda have successfully institutionalised tourism policing models combining trained personnel, multilingual support, and advanced surveillance systems to protect visitors and boost investor confidence.
He emphasised that community-based tourism cannot thrive without the active involvement of local communities in security arrangements, recommending the inclusion of traditional institutions, youth and women’s groups, vigilante structures, hunters’ associations, and local tourism operators as first-line intelligence sources.
On technology, Badaki advocated for the adoption of artificial intelligence-enabled surveillance, drone monitoring, GIS mapping, tourism safety mobile applications, 24-hour emergency call centres, and predictive analytics to strengthen response times and prevent crime at tourism sites.
He listed several challenges hindering tourism security in Nigeria, including inadequate destination policing, weak inter-agency coordination, poor emergency response systems, limited technology adoption, and insufficient community participation.
Among his key recommendations, Badaki proposed the creation of Tourism Safety Operations Centres in every state, a National Tourism Emergency Response Framework, regular security training for tour guides and hospitality personnel, community tourism security committees, and a National Tourism Safety Certification Programme for tourism establishments.
He reaffirmed FTAN’s commitment to partnering with government, security agencies, communities, and development partners to advance safer tourism destinations across the country, describing safety as “the passport to tourism prosperity.”
