Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Sports www.iiste.org ISSN (Paper) 2312-5187 ISSN (Online) 2312-5179 An International Peer-reviewed Journal Vol.2, 2014 39 Direction for the Future of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management Education in Nigeria Wasiu Babalola, PhD 1 , Olapade Oluwatoyin 2 1. School of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management, College of Humanities, Management and Social Sciences; Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria 2. School of Technology, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, Lagos State * E-mail of the corresponding author: kikeyemo@yahoo.com Abstract The increasing need for leisure travel and the overwhelming tourism development in Nigeria has necessitated high level of human resource management in order to meet up with challenges facing the tourism industry. It should be noted that tourism is a multi-sectoral industry that cuts across other sectors like hospitality and catering services, transportation, travel agencies/airline operators, and of recent the events and convention among others. Of a truth, many leisure, tourism, hospitality, hotel management, and events management students graduate without clear understanding of the magnitude of career prospects awaiting them; while those still undergoing the programme are clouded with doubts about what the future holds for them. This paper therefore seeks to address this problem. It examines the various programmes obtainable in Nigerian institutions of learning and proffer solutions in ensuring academia continually supply the manpower needs of the industry as it related to the tourism industry and its industrial sectors with focus on hospitality and events management in Nigeria. Keywords: Tourism, Hospitality, Events, Management, Nigeria, Education in Nigeria, 1. Introduction Tourism is travel for recreational or leisure purposes, while a tourist is a person who travel to and stay in places outside his usual environment for over 24 hours but not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes and not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited. Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity with a record of receipts from international tourism in destinations around the world grew by 4% in 2012 reaching US$ 1075 billion. This growth is equal to the 4% increase in international tourist arrivals which reached 1035 million in 2012. An additional US$ 219 billion was recorded in receipts from international passenger transport, bringing total exports generated by international tourism in 2012 to US$ 1.3 trillion. Tourism as an industry is dynamic and competitive, and is recognized widely as one of the world’s largest growth industry. The constant development of new tourism products has led to an increased need for knowledge, flexibility and creativity. Information technology on the other hand has provided the consumer with tools to seek out special services and better value. As a result, the tourism industry continues to feed an ever-growing system of subsidiary services. Based on these, the need for well qualified and dedicated professionals to manage this rapidly growing industry is on the increase. “No event, no history”. The age-long saying betrays the etymological background and contextual dimension of event derived from the Latin word, "eventus", meaning happening. Event is a memorable public occasion which a large number of people is invited. Often joyous but seldom sorrowful, events of various scopes and levels are organized for a number- of purposes by individuals, groups and corporate entities; celebrations, fund raising, public awareness, pilgrimage, crusade, sports, public presentation, etc. The biblical accounts of the wedding at Canan and the Royal Banquet are indications that event transcends ancient and modern traditions; extant definitions of event have been attempted by Bhatia (2006) and Okoli (2007). In the early days there were no such things as inns or hotel in Nigeria. Travellers who had cause to travel long distances and had to break their journey for rest and to pass the night did so easily without trouble. Nigerians are hospitable people and what the travellers simply does is to make a visit to the nearest house in the village to pass the night and he would be gladly being received. With the incoming of the Christianity the missionary came along with mission houses, vicarages to accommodate the travellers such mission house is still located along marina, Lagos belonging to CMS (Church Missionary Service) with branches over Nigeria. During the colonial era the colonial administrator establishes catering rest houses as administrative headquarters for the official. In