The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration among state governments, event organisers, tourism operators and private businesses to unlock Nigeria’s estimated $100bn tourism and creative economy potential.
The call formed part of the government’s support for a 100-Day Tourism Calendar launched by MyCityApp to showcase festivals, concerts, cultural celebrations and other experiences taking place across the country between September and December.
The initiative was unveiled on Monday at the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders’ Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos, as the government sought to leverage the festive season to attract visitors, stimulate spending and create jobs.
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said the period presented an opportunity to deliberately organise and promote activities that could generate economic value for businesses and communities.
According to her, the arrival of visitors during the festive season creates demand across several sectors, including aviation, transportation, hospitality, food, entertainment, retail, technology and the creative industries.
Musawa urged states and private-sector players to place their events on the national calendar, saying a centralised platform would make it easier for Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover activities across the country.
She said the initiative was intended to change the perception of the festive period from merely a season of celebration to an opportunity for tourism investment, employment and enterprise.
The minister also called for greater coordination among stakeholders, stressing that Nigeria’s numerous cultural and entertainment events could generate more economic returns if properly packaged and promoted.
The Chief Executive Officer of MyCityApp, Ifeoma Chukwu, said the $100bn ambition was achievable if Nigeria could effectively commercialise its cultural assets and improve the way tourism experiences were presented to visitors.
Chukwu cited the substantial contribution of tourism to the economies of countries such as Spain, France and the United States, arguing that Nigeria had comparable cultural resources but needed to build the systems required to convert them into economic value.
The 100-Day Tourism Calendar will feature events scheduled for the September-to-December period, while MyCityApp and MyLagosApp will provide the digital platforms for promoting the activities to audiences within Nigeria and abroad.
Stakeholders at the conference included representatives of Lagos and Enugu states, the National Council for Arts and Culture, National Gallery of Art, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria and MTN Nigeria.
The Federal Government said the initiative was part of broader efforts to strengthen tourism and the creative economy as sources of employment, investment and sustainable economic growth.
