The hospitality leader discusses rising business costs, workforce development, Nigeria's tourism opportunities, cultural identity and the systems needed to build a sustainable industry.
Nigeria has the food, culture, entertainment, creativity and destinations to become a stronger player in the global tourism market. But turning these advantages into a sustainable industry requires more than promoting what the country know demands infrastructure, skilled workers, reliable services, how we see an compete internationally while retaining its Nigerian identity.
For Dr Morenike George-Taylor, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Viande D Enterprises and President of the Restaurants, Cafés, Bars & Clubs Association of Nigeria, the future of the industry depends on how well stakeholders address these issues.
She believes that hospitality businesses must pay greater attention to the people delivering the customer experience, while government and the private sector need to work more closely to create an environment in which operators can grow. She also argues that Nigeria must look beyond attracting international visitors and recognise the enormous potential of domestic tourism.
In this concluding part of her exclusive interview with Princess Adeola Shitu, Publisher of Event Diary Lifestyle, George-Taylor examines the challenges facing hospitality operators, the opportunities within the tourism value chain, the place of women in leadership and the kind of legacy she hopes to leave behind.
From your position as President of the Association, what is the biggest challenge currently confronting restaurants, cafés, bars and clubs in Nigeria?
The biggest challenge is the cost of doing business, including double taxation.
Operators are dealing with rising input costs, energy costs, logistics, taxes and other regulatory pressures, while consumers are also under pressure. You cannot simply keep increasing prices indefinitely because eventually the customer cannot afford the experience.
There is also the issue of infrastructure. Hospitality is extremely sensitive to power, logistics, security, transportation and other basic systems.
And then there is the need for stronger regulation that understands the realities of the industry. We need regulation, absolutely, but regulation should help businesses become more sustainable rather than unintentionally making it harder for them to survive.
Hospitality is often described as a people business. What do you think Nigerian hospitality brands sometimes overlook about the human side of the business?
We sometimes focus so much on the customer that we forget the person serving the customer. You cannot consistently deliver a five-star experience with an exhausted, poorly trained or disengaged team.
Hospitality workers are not machines. They need the right training, respect, fair systems, career progression and an environment where they understand that their work matters.
I also think we need to change the perception of hospitality careers. Working in a restaurant or hotel should not be seen as something you do because you could not find anything else to do. Hospitality can be a serious career with professional progression, international opportunities and leadership pathways.
If we take the people behind the experience seriously, the customer experience will improve. This is one of the things we are working on at the moment, which involves identifying schools that train workers properly for the hospitality industry and supporting them.
Nigeria has food, culture, entertainment and incredible destinations. Why do you think we have not yet fully converted these strengths into the tourism economy we should have?
Because having the assets is not the same as building an ecosystem around them.
Nigeria has incredible food, music, fashion, culture, festivals, beaches, history and entertainment. But tourism requires infrastructure, marketing, safety, transportation, destination management and consistency.
We also need to package our experiences better. It is one thing to say, “Come to Nigeria.” It is another thing to create a compelling experience that someone can easily discover, book, travel to and enjoy.
We need to stop thinking of tourism as just bringing foreigners into Nigeria. Nigerians themselves are a huge tourism market. We should be encouraging domestic tourism and making it easier for people to discover their own country.
How important is it for Nigerian hospitality businesses to preserve our cultural identity while adopting international standards of service?
It is extremely important. International standards should teach us how to improve the quality of our service, not how to lose our identity.
I do not want Nigerian hospitality to become a copy of somewhere else. I want us to be able to deliver world-class service while still being unmistakably Nigerian.
Our food, language, music, art, fabrics, architecture, storytelling and traditions are part of our competitive advantage.
The future, in my opinion, is not choosing between culture and international standards. It is combining both.
You have worked across very different industries. What has that taught you about reinvention, and do you think professionals should be afraid of changing direction?
Absolutely not. I think one of the greatest limitations people put on themselves is believing that because they studied one thing, they have to do that one thing forever.
Your degree is part of your story. It is not necessarily the entirety of your destiny.
Reinvention requires courage because you have to be willing to become a beginner again. And that can be uncomfortable, especially when you have already achieved some level of success.
But I have discovered that skills are transferable. Leadership, negotiation, strategy, operations, communication and problem-solving can travel with you into different industries.
Sometimes changing direction is not starting over. It is taking everything you have learnt and applying it somewhere new.
There is a growing conversation about skills development in Nigeria's hospitality and tourism sectors. What skills do you think young Nigerians need to develop now if they want to become tomorrow's industry leaders?
Technical skills are important, but I would put problem-solving, communication, emotional intelligence and commercial thinking very high on the list.
Young people need to understand that hospitality is a business. You need to know your numbers, understand your customer, understand technology and be able to think beyond your job description.
Emotional intelligence is key, as a lot of people really do not understand that their network is their net worth. They do not properly manage the relationships they have and the opportunities they are given, and they lose out in the long run.
Digital skills are increasingly important too. Data, artificial intelligence, social media, digital marketing and technology will continue to transform the industry.
But I would also tell young people: learn how to work with people.
You can have an excellent CV, but if you cannot communicate, collaborate, take feedback or lead people, your growth will eventually become limited, whether you like it or not.
Women are increasingly occupying influential positions across business and hospitality. What do you believe the next generation of women needs more of—opportunities, mentorship, access or something else?
I think women need all of them, but I would add confidence and access to decision-making spaces. Sometimes women are given opportunities but not necessarily the resources, networks or authority required to succeed in them.
We need more women sitting at tables where decisions are made, not simply attending those meetings.
We also need women to support other women. Mentorship is important, but sponsorship is equally important. A mentor can advise you; a sponsor can open a door and say, “I believe she can do this.”
And I think women need to stop waiting until they feel completely ready. You can prepare yourself, but there will always be a moment when you simply have to step forward and say, “I can do this.” I want to see more women scale their businesses, and I am putting action to my words.
Beyond your corporate responsibilities, you have also been involved in creating impact and supporting others. What does meaningful impact mean to you beyond awards, titles and business success?
Impact is what remains when the title is removed. For me, it is about people. Did I make someone's life better? Did I create an opportunity? Did I help someone see possibilities they could not see before? Did I build something that can continue without me?
Awards are nice. Titles are nice. I appreciate them. But they are not the measure of my life.
I want to be remembered for creating opportunities, building businesses, developing people and contributing something meaningful to society.
Success becomes much more meaningful when it is not only about what you have acquired but also about what you have enabled other people to achieve.
What do you believe government and the private sector should be doing differently to create a more sustainable environment for Nigeria's hospitality and tourism industries?
We need more collaboration and less fragmentation. Government needs to create an environment where businesses can operate predictably, particularly around taxation, regulation, infrastructure, security and energy.
The private sector, on the other hand, has to become more organised and professional. We cannot constantly ask government to solve problems that the industry itself has not properly articulated.
We need better data, stronger industry associations, proper training, responsible investment and more public-private partnerships.
Tourism should also be treated as an economic strategy rather than simply an entertainment conversation. It is time for the government to invest in reorientation of the nation towards the Nigeria of our dreams.
As someone who understands both business and the hospitality ecosystem, what opportunities do you believe investors and entrepreneurs are currently overlooking?
The biggest opportunities are often not the glamorous ones. People see the restaurant, the hotel, the lounge or the nightclub, but there is an enormous ecosystem behind those businesses and their link with technology.
There is a huge opportunity in creating experiences around Nigerian culture and infusing technology into those experiences.
We need more businesses that do not just sell products but package Nigerian experiences for both domestic and international audiences.
When you are not wearing the CEO or Association President hat, what side of Morenike do people who work with you rarely get to see?
I am actually quite playful. People who know me professionally sometimes see the very serious, structured, “let's get this done” Morenike. But outside work, I enjoy laughing, singing, spending time with the people I love and just being myself.
I am also very family-oriented. And my faith is a very important part of who I am. There is a side of me that is much quieter than the CEO and President people see publicly. I pray, I reflect and I try to stay grounded.
I think titles can make people forget that behind the title is just a human being trying to figure things out too.
If we were to have this conversation again several years from now, what would you like to have changed—not just in your businesses, but in Nigeria's hospitality and tourism landscape?
I would love to see Nigerian hospitality recognised as one of the strongest contributors to our economy and global identity.
I want to see Nigerian businesses operating at international standards without losing their Nigerian soul.
I want young Nigerians to look at hospitality and tourism and see real careers, entrepreneurship and wealth creation.
And personally, I want Viande to have grown into a significant West African food supply and distribution business that is known for quality, reliability and excellence.
But beyond the businesses, I would like to look back and know that I contributed to building people and systems that outlived my position.
Because ultimately, leadership is not about how long people remember your title, but about what continues to make a difference after you have left the position.
