The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has directed operators of hotels, motels, guest houses, night clubs and eateries nationwide to register with the corporation within 30 days or be shut down.

Olusegun Runsewe, the Director-General of the corporation gave the directive in a statement issued by Deputy Director of Press, Akin Lipede, in Abuja on Thursday.

He said the hoteliers and related organisations were also required by law to give the profile of their staff, including their nationalities to security agencies.

Mr. Runsewe said the directive applied to every operator across the country, stressing that it was a punishable offence to run a hotel or other hospitality enterprises without registration and placement of signboards.

He said there was the need for security agencies to have an inventory of all tourism enterprises in the country for effective monitoring in the interest of national security and stability.

“We cannot afford to allow our hospitality enterprises to be used as dens for crime and criminalities”, he said.

Mr. Runsewe said the corporation was empowered by law to register all hotels and other hospitality enterprises, and to provide a comprehensive database for effective regulation of the industry.