Joyce Onwuka

The Continental Hotels Group (CHG), is making is planning to set up a training academy in the various higher institutions in the country to bridge skill gap in the country’s hospitality industry.

The initiative is part of the Group’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) to upscale up the skills and manpower development in the country’s hospitality sector.

In particular, the Continental Hotels hospitality training academy is planning to collaborate with higher institutions of learning in a bid to broaden and enrich their hospitality management curriculum by introducing industry practices to bolster skills and manpower development in the hospitality sector.

The Chairman of Continental Hotels Group, Mr. Ramesh Kansagra,  in a blueprint on the project stated that the Continental Hotels hospitality training academy would provide fully funded Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platforms for Nigerian students to broaden their knowledge and experience about the diversity of the country’s hospitality industry.

The project unveiling which attracted hundreds of students of the university and authorities of the ivory tower was  heralded with a Hospitality Industry Career Insights at the faculty of social sciences lecture theatre ,UNILAG , Akoka ,Lagos

With this, the Continental Hotels Group (CHG) stated that it is ready to collaborate with higher institution of learning that may be interested in starting hospitality management department.

He pointed out  that the company’s CSR project on the hospitality training academy, is starting at the University Of Lagos (UNILAG) and will spread to other ivory towers in the country as time goes on.

Specifically, the CHG Chairman added that the collaboration with UNILAG), will see the Continental Hotels hospitality training academy offering short courses in hospitality management to the undergraduate students.

Kansagra, being the visioneer, said: “Our aims & objectives of the Continental Hotels training academy, are; • To bridge skill gap in the  Nigeria’s hospitality industry. • To provide training & skill acquisition platforms that are required for addressing hospitality management skill shortage, amongst others

UNILAG Deputy Vice Chancellor ( Developmental Services ) ,Prof Ayodele Atsenuwa thanked the management of Continental Hotels for the unparalleled opportunity to the students as well as veritable avenue to raise future ready graduates for the Nigerian economy .

According to her , the academy would avail the spectrum of opportunities in the hospitality industry even as the university awaits its eventual unfolding of the corporate social investment of the Continental Hotels Group .

In  his address titled ” Investment Opportunities in the Creative Industry in Nigeria ” the immediate minister of  Information, Culture &  Tourism ,Alhaji Lai Mohammed affirmed that there are lots of avenues for investors  to excel in the industry .