Tourism Constitution Bill Summary

What Is This Bill?

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2025 (HB. 2060) is a proposed constitutional amendment to move tourism and tourism-related matters from Nigeria’s residual legislative list — where it currently falls under state jurisdiction by default — into the Concurrent Legislative List (Second Schedule, Part II of the 1999 Constitution). If enacted, both the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly would hold shared legislative competence over tourism, enabling a unified national framework while preserving state-level legislative participation. The Bill is sponsored by Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu and six co-sponsors, forming part of the 10th National Assembly’s broader Sixth Alteration programme targeting constitutional reforms by December 2025.

Who Does It Target?

The National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, whose legislative powers over tourism would be formally shared and co-ordinated under the Concurrent List The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and the Federal Ministry of Tourism, whose regulatory mandates would gain clearer constitutional backing State ministries and agencies responsible for tourism, hospitality, culture, and creative economy at the sub-national level Hotels, resorts, hospitality businesses, tour operators, and travel agencies operating across state boundaries Investors — domestic and foreign — in Nigeria’s tourism, hospitality, and cultural economy sectors Host communities in tourism-rich states whose local heritage sites, natural parks, and cultural assets attract visitor traffic The arts, culture, and creative economy ecosystem, including film, fashion, and festivals, which are closely linked to tourism promotion

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Vest concurrent legislative authority over tourism in both the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, establishing a clear constitutional basis for federal and state legislation on tourism Resolve the existing legislative vacuum and jurisdictional ambiguity arising from tourism’s current status as a residual matter — as affirmed in A.G. Federation v. A.G. Lagos State — where courts held tourism regulation falls outside federal legislative competence Enable the Federal Government to enact a comprehensive, uniform national tourism law setting standards for licensing, grading, regulation, and promotion of tourism enterprises and facilities Empower states to legislate on tourism in ways that complement federal law, fostering competitive tourism development at the sub-national level Position tourism as a strategic driver of economic diversification, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings, consistent with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the target to increase tourism’s GDP contribution Align Nigeria’s constitutional framework with its 2024 National Tourism Policy, which identifies tourism as a ‘mega income earner’ for the economy

Key Features

Concurrent List Inclusion: Tourism and all tourism-related matters — including hospitality, hotel classification, tour operations, cultural tourism, and ecotourism — to be added to Part II of the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution Shared Legislative Competence: Both the National Assembly (federal) and State Houses of Assembly will hold concurrent power to make laws on tourism; federal law prevails in cases of inconsistency, per Section 4 of the Constitution Precedent-Based Devolution: Follows the same constitutional mechanism used to move Railways (Fifth Alteration, 2023) and Correctional Services from the Exclusive to the Concurrent Legislative List, decongesting the Exclusive List NTDC Mandate Strengthened: A clear concurrent constitutional basis would reinforce the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation’s national regulatory and promotional mandate, removing uncertainty created by court decisions National Policy Alignment: Complements the Draft National Tourism Policy validated in November 2024 — the first policy update since 2005 — ensuring the constitutional framework supports modern tourism governance objectives Section 9 Compliance: As a constitutional alteration, the Bill must be passed by a minimum two-thirds majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, and ratified by at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly

Current Status

First Reading: Bill (HB. 2060) introduced in the House of Representatives in 2025 as part of a package of Sixth Alteration Bills sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and others Second Reading: Passed second reading in March 2025 during a plenary session presided over by Deputy Speaker Kalu; supported by lawmakers in a voice vote Committee Stage: Referred to the House Committee on Constitution Amendment for review, public hearings, and report; committee is expected to conclude by late 2025 Senate Process: Corresponding alteration bill required in the Senate; both chambers must independently pass the bill by two-thirds majority before transmission to State Houses of Assembly State Ratification: Following passage at the National Assembly, at least 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly must adopt a resolution approving the alteration for it to become law Tourism Policy Context: Nigeria’s Draft National Tourism Policy — validated November 2024 under Minister Hannatu Musawa — is being finalised in parallel; constitutional alteration is intended to provide the enabling framework for the new policy

How to Access

Legislators: Members of the House of Representatives and Senate should engage the Committee on Constitution Amendment to participate in public hearings and submit memoranda on the Bill State Assemblies: State Houses of Assembly should begin internal consultations to prepare for the ratification vote required upon transmission of the enrolled Bill from the National Assembly Tourism Operators: Hospitality businesses, tour operators, and hotel groups should engage the NTDC and Ministry of Tourism to input into tourism regulations that will follow constitutional change Investors: Domestic and foreign investors in the tourism sector should track the Bill’s progress; passage will signal a more stable and federally backed regulatory environment for tourism investment Civil Society: Policy and legal advocacy organisations should participate in public hearings and submit written representations to the House Committee on Constitution Amendment Contact: National Assembly, House of Representatives — Committee on Constitution Amendment | nass.gov.ng | Federal Ministry of Tourism: tourism.gov.ng | NTDC: tourism.gov.ng/ntdc

Important Terms

Concurrent Legislative List: Part II of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution listing matters on which both the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly may legislate; federal law prevails in case of conflict Exclusive Legislative List: Part I of the Second Schedule listing matters on which only the National Assembly may legislate, to the exclusion of states; tourism is not currently listed here Residual Powers: Legislative powers not expressly listed in the Exclusive or Concurrent Lists, which under Section 4(7) of the Constitution vest in State Houses of Assembly by default; tourism currently falls here Section 9 Procedure: The constitutional provision governing alteration of the Constitution; requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the National Assembly and approval by not less than two-thirds of all State Houses of Assembly NTDC: Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation — the federal body established to regulate, develop, and market Nigeria’s tourism sector nationally and internationally

Impact & Metrics

Tourism currently contributes approximately 4–5% of Nigeria’s GDP; constitutional entrenchment of concurrent legislative powers is intended to accelerate investment and policy coherence to grow this share significantly Nigeria’s 2024 National Tourism Policy — the first update in 19 years — identifies tourism as a ‘mega income earner’ with potential for billions in foreign exchange; the constitutional alteration is its critical legal enabler The precedent of the Fifth Alteration moving Railways to the concurrent list led to immediate state-level infrastructure legislation; a similar effect is anticipated for tourism development across all 36 states A unified federal tourism regulatory framework is expected to improve investor confidence, standardise hospitality grading, and boost Nigeria’s competitiveness in the $9.9 trillion global tourism market

Official Resources

Website: nass.gov.ng | tourism.gov.ng | ntdc.gov.ng Bill Reference: HB. 2060 — Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2025 (Inclusion of Tourism and Tourism-Related Matters in the Concurrent Legislative List) Contact: National Assembly, House of Representatives, Abuja — Committee on Constitution Amendment | Federal Ministry of Tourism, Abuja Summary prepared using the Policy Summary Template | Source: HB. 2060 (2025), NASS Hansard, Independent Newspaper, Plural Policy, Mondaq, NESG, National Tourism Policy 2024, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) | March 2026

Legal Framework

Introduced under the alteration procedures for the 1999 Constitution prescribed in Section 9, requiring approval by both chambers of the National Assembly and at least two-thirds of State Houses of Assembly. The tourism matters proposed for movement to the Concurrent Legislative List currently fall under state residual powers. Aligns with the National Tourism Policy, the Tourism (Incentives) Act, and the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation Act.