The federal government and digital platform MyCityApp on Monday launched a 100-day tourism campaign aimed at turning Nigeria’s annual festive-season boom into a $100bn economic opportunity.
Tagged “Ember to Remember”, the campaign will run from September to December across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The initiative brings festivals, concerts, cultural events, food fairs, fashion shows, hospitality, and destination experiences into a single national tourism calendar.
National Strategy Aligns Creative Industry with Growth Goals
The initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s broader $1tn economy ambition, with the federal government targeting more than 2 million jobs in the creative and tourism industries.
Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Minister Hannatu Musawa told delegates at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja that Nigeria could no longer afford to treat tourism as merely a December entertainment season.
“Nigeria is much bigger than December alone,” Musawa said. She noted that tourism spending generates income for airlines, hotels, restaurants, transport operators, retailers, banks, telecommunications companies, event organisers, and local communities.
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Data Infrastructure and Capital Assets Set for Upgrade
Beyond promotion, Musawa said the government was working to close Nigeria’s tourism data gap.
The ministry is collaborating with the National Bureau of Statistics to measure spending generated by tourism activities, while its D30 Data Platform is expected to strengthen data collection across the sector.
The federal government’s wider tourism agenda includes the rehabilitation of Obudu Resort and Yankari Game Reserve, the development of Abuja Creative City, and plans to install 5,000 cinema screens nationwide.
Private Sector Alignment Drives National Calendar Launch
The ministry is working with the National Council for Arts and Culture to align the campaign with its Niger Season, aimed at creating a year-round national tourism calendar. Musawa acknowledged support from MTN Nigeria and Providus Bank while calling for stronger private sector investment.
Musawa stressed that the success of the campaign would be measured by visitors attracted, hotel rooms occupied, jobs created, businesses supported, community incomes generated, and investments unlocked.
MyCityApp Chief Executive Officer Ifeoma Mbonu said the organisation would provide the digital platform for the campaign, allowing domestic citizens, members of the diaspora, and international visitors to discover events across the country from September to December.
Mbonu listed festivals, concerts, culture, food, fashion, nightlife, homecomings, carnivals, and destination experiences among the core activities driving the festive period. The Ember to Remember National Stakeholders Conference, scheduled for September 14, 2026, in Lagos, will unveil the national tourism calendar to aggregate activities for operators and tourists.
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