News Investigators/ The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has urged hotel owners and transport unions to adopt the National Transit E-Manifest (NTEM) to strengthen security and prevent crime.
Mr Disu made the call on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ engagement on onboarding hotels onto the platform at the Police Officers’ Mess, Ikeja.
The programme was under the theme, ‘Enhancing Hotel Security Through Digital Guest Registration and Real-Time Information Management.’
The I-G said NTEM would improve passenger and hotel guest records through a coordinated digital system, enhancing intelligence gathering, information sharing and crime prevention.
He said kidnappers, armed robbers, human traffickers and other organised criminals often exploited gaps in passenger records and hotel registers to conceal their identities and movements.
According to him, the platform will help security agencies identify suspicious movements, trace suspects, support investigations and respond more quickly to emerging threats.
Mr Disu, represented by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Tijani, said the system would address shortcomings associated with handwritten manifests and inadequate digital guest records.
He said such shortcomings could delay investigations and hinder the timely retrieval of relevant information needed by security agencies.
The police chief, however, stressed that implementation must comply with applicable laws, particularly the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to safeguard personal information and protect citizens’ fundamental rights.
He urged transport unions, motor park managers, hotel owners and security personnel to cooperate with the implementation team and familiarise themselves with the platform’s operational procedures.
Mr Disu also called for proper maintenance of passenger and guest records, saying effective implementation would strengthen preventive policing and public-private sector cooperation.
He said the initiative would ultimately promote a safer environment for residents, visitors and investors.
A consultant to the Nigeria Police Force on NTEM, Nelson Omanibe, said the platform would enhance intelligence gathering, crime prevention and protection of guests’ personal data.
Omanibe said conventional methods of submitting hotel guest manifests often caused delays, produced inaccurate records and complicated the analysis of large volumes of information.
He said such delays could enable suspected criminals to check into and leave hotels before the police received information about their presence.
According to him, NTEM would facilitate prompt transmission of guest information, enabling security agencies to analyse records and use them for investigations and crime prevention.
He said the platform would promote proactive, intelligence-led policing by helping officers identify persons of interest, respond to potential threats and strengthen data security.
Mr Omanibe added that the system was designed to minimise unauthorised access to or disclosure of personal information, describing the initiative as timely amid Nigeria’s security challenges.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Travi Mobile Ltd., Jonah Ukoha, said NTEM would strengthen security, improve hotel operations and create employment opportunities nationwide.
Mr Ukoha said development of the platform began in 2021 and had undergone pilot testing in some states, reviews and upgrades before deployment.
He said the platform would enable hotels to submit guest manifests once for access by relevant security agencies, eliminating multiple submissions and facilitating timely information sharing.
According to him, the system’s electronic manifest control centre helps police identify suspicious persons, verify guests’ identities and respond promptly to potential security threats.
Mr Ukoha said hotel registration would be conducted physically at the premises to verify locations and prevent fraudulent listings.
He added that hotel owners would be required to authorise the onboarding process.
He said NTEM would operate independently of existing hotel management software, although compatible systems could be integrated with it.
He added that the platform would also provide hotels with free exposure to travellers and simplify guest check-in procedures.
Heads of hotel associations and leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers attended the engagement.
NAN
