Effective Date: SEP 20TH 2026
Version: ____________________

1. INTRODUCTION

The Business and Hoteliers Stakeholders Forum (BHSF) is a professional stakeholders' body established to advocate, promote and protect the legitimate interests of businesses, hospitality operators, professionals and other eligible stakeholders.

BHSF seeks to promote cooperation, professional standards, networking, business development, responsible business practices, customer service, knowledge sharing and constructive engagement between businesses, government institutions, regulators, customers and other relevant stakeholders.

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern:

• Membership of BHSF;

• Applications for membership;

• Use of BHSF services, platforms and programmes;

• Participation in BHSF activities;

• Business and professional relationships facilitated through BHSF;

• Information submitted to BHSF;

• Use of the BHSF website, communication platforms and materials; and

• The relationship between BHSF, its members, applicants and members of the general public.

By applying for membership, becoming a member, participating in BHSF activities, using BHSF platforms or otherwise engaging with BHSF, the relevant person or organisation agrees to comply with these Terms, the BHSF Constitution, applicable policies, rules and Code of Conduct.

2. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF BHSF

BHSF's objectives include:

1. Advocating, promoting and protecting the legitimate interests of hospitality industries, businesses and business owners at local, national and international levels.

2. Promoting networking, cooperation and collaboration among hospitality professionals, business owners and other eligible stakeholders.

3. Promoting professional standards and quality customer service.

4. Encouraging creative, productive and internationally competitive service delivery.

5. Supporting the availability of quality goods and professional services to the public.

6. Providing opportunities, resources and support for professional development, training and skills enhancement.

7. Promoting industry standards, best practices, quality assurance and customer satisfaction.

8. Facilitating research, information and knowledge sharing to encourage innovation and sustainable business growth.

9. Promoting responsible and sustainable business practices.

10. Creating opportunities for market expansion, networking, partnerships and business growth.

11. Promoting a positive public perception of the business and hospitality industries and highlighting their economic contribution.

12. Exploring lawful avenues for obtaining legitimate support, assistance and benefits for members, including during business emergencies or difficult circumstances.

13. Advocating against unlawful multiple taxation, illegal levies, harassment, extortion and other unlawful practices affecting businesses, while respecting the powers and responsibilities of government and regulatory authorities.

14. Representing and advocating for the legitimate collective interests of BHSF and its members before relevant stakeholders and institutions.

3. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP

Membership is subject to the eligibility requirements established by BHSF.

Applicants may be required to demonstrate:

• Legitimate business ownership or authorised representation;

• Appropriate business registration;

• Relevant licences or permits where applicable;

• A verifiable business location;

• Valid identification;

• Appropriate business information;

• Compliance with applicable laws and regulations; and

• Satisfaction of any applicable BHSF membership category or business-value requirement.

BHSF reserves the right to request additional documentation reasonably necessary to verify an application.

Submission of an application does not create an automatic right to membership.

4. MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION AND APPROVAL

The BHSF membership process may include:

Application → Documentation → Verification → Eligibility Assessment → Package Selection → Payment → Code of Conduct → Orientation → Committee Review → Final Approval → Membership Identification.

An applicant shall not be regarded as a fully registered BHSF member merely because:

• An application form has been submitted;

• Documents have been submitted;

• A membership fee has been paid;

• An applicant has been added temporarily to a communication platform; or

• An applicant has attended an activity.

Final membership is subject to completion of the required process and approval by the appropriate BHSF authority.

5. MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES AND FEES

BHSF may operate different membership categories according to the size, nature, capacity or value of a member's business.

The current registration categories may include:

PLATINUM — ₦250,000

Generally applicable to major and high-capacity businesses, including qualifying:

• Five-star hotels;

• Hotels with major event centres, clubs or hospitality facilities;

• Hotels with more than 70 rooms;

• Industries and manufacturers;

• Major corporations; and

• Businesses valued at ₦100 million or above.

GOLD — ₦150,000

Generally applicable to established medium-to-large businesses, including qualifying:

• Hotels with more than 50 rooms;

• Event centres;

• Nightclubs;

• Established hospitality businesses; and

• Businesses valued at ₦50 million or above.

SILVER — ₦100,000

Generally applicable to established professional and medium-sized businesses, including qualifying:

• Hotels with more than 30 rooms;

• Professional businesses and firms;

• Import and export businesses;

• Established commercial enterprises; and

• Businesses valued at ₦30 million or above.

BRONZE — ₦50,000

Generally applicable to smaller established businesses, including qualifying:

• Hotels with more than 15 rooms;

• Shops;

• Traders;

• Small and medium-sized enterprises; and

• Businesses valued at ₦10 million or above.

BHSF may review, modify, introduce or discontinue membership categories and fees in accordance with its governing documents and applicable law.

6. BUSINESS VALUE / EQUITY REQUIREMENT

Where applicable, BHSF may require an applicant to demonstrate a minimum business value or equity of ₦10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira).

The stated business value may be subject to reasonable verification.

BHSF may request supporting information or documentation where necessary.

Business-value information supplied to BHSF must be truthful and must not be deliberately exaggerated or falsified.

7. MEMBERSHIP FEES AND PAYMENT

Membership fees shall only be paid through payment channels officially authorised by BHSF.

Applicants must independently confirm official payment details with an authorised BHSF representative before making payment.

The current stated account details are:

Account Name: Business & Hoteliers Stakeholders Forum
Account Number: 1229446886
Bank: ______________________________

BHSF shall not be responsible for payments made to unauthorised persons, personal accounts, fraudulent accounts or unofficial payment channels where the applicant failed to verify the payment details.

Payment of a membership fee does not automatically constitute membership approval.

8. NO UNAUTHORISED REPRESENTATION

No person may represent themselves as an authorised officer, representative, agent or spokesperson of BHSF unless properly authorised.

No member or third party may:

• Sign agreements on behalf of BHSF without authority;

• Collect money on behalf of BHSF without authorisation;

• Issue official BHSF statements without authority;

• Make commitments binding BHSF without authority; or

• Use BHSF's name, logo or identity in a manner that suggests official endorsement without permission.

9. MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES

Every BHSF member is expected to:

• Conduct business honestly and professionally;

• Comply with applicable Nigerian laws and regulations;

• Provide accurate information to BHSF;

• Respect other members;

• Protect confidential information;

• Avoid fraudulent or dishonest conduct;

• Avoid conduct capable of bringing BHSF into disrepute;

• Pay applicable membership dues and charges;

• Attend required meetings where applicable;

• Participate constructively in BHSF activities;

• Support legitimate collective initiatives;

• Respect decisions properly made under the BHSF Constitution and applicable policies; and

• Promote professional and responsible business practices.

10. INTEGRITY, HONESTY AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

BHSF expects the highest standard of integrity from its members.

Members must not knowingly:

• Lie or provide materially false information;

• Steal or misappropriate property;

• Commit fraud;

• Misuse BHSF funds;

• Abuse confidential information;

• Betray legitimate organisational trust;

• Harass or threaten other members;

• Engage in unlawful discrimination;

• Defame another person or business;

• Manipulate BHSF processes for personal gain; or

• Use BHSF membership to facilitate unlawful activity.

Nothing in this section prevents a member from making a genuine complaint, report or criticism through appropriate and lawful channels.

11. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY

Members, officers and persons handling BHSF information are expected to protect confidential information obtained through BHSF activities.

Confidential information must not be disclosed, copied, sold, transferred or misused without lawful authority.

BHSF may collect and process information reasonably necessary for:

• Membership administration;

• Identity verification;

• Business verification;

• Communication;

• Membership identification;

• Event administration;

• Legitimate advocacy;

• Research and industry development;

• Compliance; and

• Other lawful organisational purposes.

Personal information shall be handled in accordance with applicable Nigerian privacy and data-protection requirements.

Where consent or other lawful authority is required for a particular processing activity, BHSF shall seek to obtain or rely upon an appropriate lawful basis.

12. BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION

Where legitimately required, BHSF may facilitate or conduct reasonable business or employment-history verification.

Such verification must:

• Have a legitimate purpose;

• Be factual and professional;

• Be limited to information reasonably necessary for that purpose;

• Respect applicable privacy and employment laws; and

• Not be used for unlawful discrimination, harassment, defamation or blacklisting.

BHSF does not guarantee the accuracy of information supplied by third parties and shall take reasonable steps appropriate to the circumstances before relying upon or disseminating verification information.

13. MEMBER-TO-MEMBER PATRONAGE

BHSF may encourage members to patronise, network with and support one another.

Where a member offers a discount, including an applicable 5% member discount, the terms of that discount shall be determined by the relevant business and applicable BHSF policy.

BHSF does not guarantee that every member will purchase from another member or that every member will provide a particular service.

Members remain responsible for their own commercial decisions.

14. BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN MEMBERS

BHSF may create opportunities for networking, referrals, partnerships and business transactions.

However, BHSF is generally not a party to transactions independently entered into between members.

Members are responsible for conducting their own due diligence before:

• Paying money;

• Entering contracts;

• Purchasing goods or services;

• Investing;

• Extending credit;

• Entering partnerships; or

• Sharing commercially sensitive information.

Members should use written agreements where appropriate.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing, BHSF does not guarantee the performance, quality, solvency, legality or reliability of any member or business.

15. BHSF ADVOCACY AND REPRESENTATION

BHSF may advocate on matters affecting its members and the wider business and hospitality sector.

Such advocacy may include engagement with:

• Government;

• Regulatory agencies;

• Local authorities;

• Financial institutions;

• Industry stakeholders;

• Professional organisations;

• Media organisations; and

• Other relevant institutions.

BHSF's advocacy is intended to promote lawful and legitimate interests.

Membership does not guarantee that BHSF will obtain a particular government decision, financial benefit, licence, tax outcome, contract, grant, loan or regulatory result for any individual member.

16. TAXATION, LEVIES AND REGULATORY MATTERS

BHSF may advocate against unlawful taxation, illegal levies, extortion, harassment or unreasonable regulatory practices affecting businesses.

However, BHSF does not authorise any member to refuse, evade or unlawfully avoid taxes, statutory fees, licences, permits or other legitimate government obligations.

Each business remains responsible for its own legal and regulatory compliance.

17. EVENTS, MEETINGS AND COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS

Members may be required to comply with reasonable rules governing:

• Meetings;

• Attendance;

• Voting;

• Proxy representation;

• Communication platforms;

• Events;

• Committees;

• Official announcements; and

• Other BHSF activities.

Members must not use BHSF communication platforms for:

• Fraud;

• Harassment;

• Hate speech;

• Unlawful threats;

• Unauthorised advertising;

• Spam;

• Pornographic or unlawful material;

• False accusations; or

• Content capable of unlawfully damaging another person's reputation.

18. ATTENDANCE, ABSENCE AND PROXY

Where BHSF rules require attendance at meetings, members are expected to comply.

Where a member is unable to attend, the applicable BHSF rules regarding notice, authorised representation, proxy or absentee charges shall apply.

No member shall be penalised merely for exercising a lawful right or raising a legitimate concern through the appropriate process.

19. NON-DISCRIMINATION

BHSF is committed to fair and professional participation.

Membership and BHSF activities shall not be used to unlawfully discriminate against individuals or businesses.

Disagreements based on legitimate business, professional, disciplinary or eligibility matters shall not automatically constitute unlawful discrimination.

20. DISCIPLINARY ACTION

BHSF may take disciplinary action where a member is alleged to have breached:

• These Terms;

• The BHSF Constitution;

• The Code of Conduct;

• Membership obligations; or

• Applicable law.

Possible disciplinary measures may include:

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• Warning;

• Formal reprimand;

• Suspension;

• Removal from a committee;

• Restriction of specific privileges;

• Requirement to provide clarification or corrective action;

21. TERMINATION OR SUSPENSION OF MEMBERSHIP

BHSF may suspend or terminate membership in accordance with its Constitution, policies and applicable law.

Grounds may include:

• Serious misconduct;

• Fraudulent membership application;

• Falsification of documents;

• Misuse of BHSF's name;

• Non-payment of applicable obligations;

• Serious breach of confidentiality;

• Conduct seriously prejudicial to BHSF;

• Unlawful activity; or

• Other grounds provided under BHSF's governing documents.

Termination of membership does not automatically extinguish lawful financial, contractual or other obligations already incurred.

22. REFUNDS

Unless otherwise expressly stated in writing, membership registration fees are generally administrative and processing fees and may be non-refundable after substantial processing or approval has occurred.

Any refund request shall be considered in accordance with the applicable BHSF refund policy, the circumstances of the payment and applicable law.

BHSF shall not be liable for losses caused by payments made to unauthorised persons or accounts.

23. WEBSITE AND DIGITAL CONTENT DISCLAIMER

Information published on the BHSF website, social media platforms, newsletters and other communication channels is intended for general informational and organisational purposes.

While BHSF may make reasonable efforts to keep information accurate and current, BHSF does not guarantee that all information will always be:

• Complete;

• Accurate;

• Current;

• Available;

• Error-free; or

• Suitable for every user's circumstances.

Users should independently verify important information before relying upon it.

24. GENERAL PUBLIC DISCLAIMER

BHSF may publish information about members, businesses, programmes, opportunities, events, industry matters and third-party services.

Unless expressly stated otherwise:

Publication, listing, referral, introduction, advertisement or mention of a person or business by BHSF does not constitute a guarantee, certification, warranty or unconditional endorsement of that person's products, services, financial standing, conduct or performance.

Members of the public should conduct their own due diligence before entering into any transaction.

25. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES AND LINKS

BHSF may provide links, references, introductions or information relating to third-party businesses, organisations, financial institutions, government agencies or other service providers.

BHSF does not control all third-party services and is not responsible for their independent operations, policies, products or services.

Users should review the terms and privacy policies applicable to third-party services before using them.

26. NO GUARANTEE OF BUSINESS SUCCESS

BHSF membership may provide networking, visibility, advocacy, information and business-development opportunities.

However, BHSF does not guarantee:

• Increased revenue;

• New customers;

• Government contracts;

• Loans;

• Investments;

• Partnerships;

• Business expansion;

• Profit;

• Employment;

• Regulatory approvals; or

• Any particular commercial outcome.

Business decisions and commercial risks remain the responsibility of the individual member or business.

27. FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT DISCLAIMER

BHSF is not automatically a financial institution, investment adviser, bank, lender or insurer by virtue of its membership or advocacy activities.

Unless specifically authorised and legally permitted, BHSF does not provide financial, investment, tax or legal advice.

Members and members of the public should seek advice from appropriately qualified professionals before making significant financial, investment, tax or legal decisions.

28. LIMITATION OF RESPONSIBILITY

To the extent permitted by applicable law, BHSF shall not be responsible for losses arising solely from:

• Independent transactions between members;

• Decisions made by members based on general information;

• Acts or omissions of independent third parties;

• Unauthorised representations made by individuals;

• Fraud committed independently by a member or third party;

• Failure of a member's business;

• Loss of expected profit or business opportunity; or

• Events beyond BHSF's reasonable control.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude or limit liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under applicable law.

29. FORCE MAJEURE

BHSF shall not be liable for failure or delay in performing an obligation where such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, fire, serious public emergencies, government restrictions, civil disturbance, infrastructure failure, widespread technology failure or other comparable events.

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• Termination of membership; or

• Referral to an appropriate authority where necessary.

Except in circumstances requiring urgent action, the member should be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to serious allegations before final disciplinary action is taken.