LAGOS/Nigeria: The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has called on hotel owners, hospitality businesses and transport operators to adopt the National Transit E-Manifest (NTEM), a digital information platform intended to improve security intelligence, strengthen crime prevention and close gaps in the identification of travellers and hotel guests.
Disu made the appeal on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ engagement on hotel onboarding onto the platform at the Police Officers’ Mess, Ikeja, Lagos, where he urged industry operators to cooperate with the implementation team and prepare their businesses for the system’s rollout.
The meeting, themed “Enhancing Hotel Security Through Digital Guest Registration and Real-Time Information Management,” focused on how digital records and faster information sharing could assist security agencies in identifying suspicious movements and investigating criminal activities.
Represented by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, the I-G said weaknesses in conventional passenger manifests and hotel registration systems could make it easier for criminals to conceal their identities and movements.
He identified kidnapping, human trafficking, armed robbery and other organised crimes among the offences that could exploit inadequate or poorly maintained travel and accommodation records.
According to him, NTEM is designed to improve the collection and management of passenger and guest information, enabling relevant security agencies to access records more efficiently and use them to support investigations and respond to emerging threats.
Disu said the continued reliance on handwritten manifests and inadequate electronic records could delay investigations, complicate the verification of identities and hinder the timely retrieval of information needed by law enforcement officers.
He called for appropriate identity-verification procedures, including the use of National Identification Number (NIN) verification, where legally applicable, to improve the accuracy and reliability of passenger and hotel guest records.
The police chief, however, stressed that the adoption of technology for security purposes must not come at the expense of citizens’ fundamental rights or the lawful handling of personal information.
He referenced the Police Act 2020 as part of the legal framework governing police crime prevention and detection, while noting that electronic records presented in court must satisfy applicable provisions of the Evidence Act 2011, including Section 84 where relevant.
He also emphasised compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 in the collection, processing, storage and protection of personal data.
“Personal data must be handled only for legitimate purposes and in accordance with applicable legal requirements,” he said.
Disu maintained that the platform’s effectiveness would depend on sustained cooperation between the police, other security agencies, transport unions and businesses in the hospitality sector.
He urged transport union leaders, motor park managers, hotel owners and security personnel to engage with the implementation team, understand the procedures for adopting the platform and ensure that their organisations were adequately prepared.
He said a properly implemented digital manifest system could strengthen preventive policing, improve collaboration between public institutions and private businesses, and contribute to a safer environment for residents, visitors and investors.
A consultant to the Nigeria Police Force on NTEM, Nelson Omanibe, said the platform was developed to address operational weaknesses associated with conventional hotel guest registration and the submission of passenger manifests.
Omanibe explained that paper-based processes could result in delays, inaccurate records and difficulties in analysing large volumes of information. Such limitations, he said, could prevent security agencies from receiving relevant information before a suspected offender leaves a hotel.
He said the digital platform was intended to facilitate faster transmission and analysis of guest information, potentially supporting investigations, improving intelligence gathering and enabling security agencies to respond more promptly to potential threats.
Omanibe added that the system was designed with measures intended to prevent unauthorised access to or disclosure of guests’ personal information, describing the initiative as a response to the need for more effective security coordination in Nigeria.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Travi Mobile Ltd., Jonah Ukoh, said the platform was expected to improve security management within the hospitality industry while making hotel operations more efficient and creating employment opportunities.
Ukoh disclosed that development of the system began in 2021 and that it had undergone pilot testing, reviews and upgrades before its deployment.
He explained that NTEM would enable hotels to submit guest manifests through a centralised digital process, allowing relevant security agencies to access the information without requiring hotels to make multiple submissions to different agencies.
According to him, the platform’s electronic manifest control centre would support identity verification and help the police identify persons of interest and respond to potential security threats.
Ukoh said the onboarding process would include physical verification of hotel premises, while property owners would be required to authorise registration to reduce the risk of fraudulent listings.
He added that NTEM was designed to operate independently of existing hotel management software, although compatible systems could be integrated with the platform.
Beyond its security functions, Ukoh said the system would offer hotels free exposure to travellers and simplify guest check-in procedures.
The proposed adoption of NTEM places renewed emphasis on the role of accurate records and cooperation between law enforcement agencies and private businesses in addressing security challenges. Its practical impact will depend on effective implementation, reliable information management and compliance with the legal safeguards governing the use of personal data.
