Creative Industry
From Culture to Commerce: Awakan Advocates Creative Platforms as Tourism Drivers
Joel Ajayi
The Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Dr. Ola Awakan, has emphasized that sustainable tourism growth in Nigeria depends on deliberately creating and strengthening platforms that showcase the nation’s rich cultural and creative assets.
Dr. Awakan made this assertion while speaking as a special guest at the 19th edition of Culturati, Nigeria’s flagship culture and arts festival, held at the Oriental Waterfront, Lekki, Lagos. The event attracted top government officials, traditional rulers, creatives, and tourism stakeholders,
underscoring the growing intersection between culture and destination development.
Describing the festival as both inspiring and nostalgic, the NTDA boss recalled his personal creative journey on the same stage when the platform was known as Sisi Oge.
“Many years ago, I performed on this very stage with my team in a dance-drama that I wrote and directed. Today, I stand here as the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority. This is proof of how powerful cultural platforms can be, not just for art, but for tourism and nation branding,” he said.
Dr. Awakan commended the convener of Culturati and Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Tourism, Mr. Idris Aregbe, for sustaining the festival for 19 years and positioning it as a global-facing cultural product.
“This is the direction tourism development must take. Our culture is a major asset. Platforms like Culturati should not only be preserved but strengthened and exported beyond our borders as tourism products that attract visitors, investment, and global attention,” he added.
He noted that cultural festivals play a critical role in promoting cultural tourism, preserving heritage, stimulating local economies, and creating sustainable livelihoods for creatives, while reinforcing Nigeria’s image as a vibrant and diverse destination.
Hosted by popular media personality Kiekie, the festival featured colourful performances, fashion, music, and storytelling that celebrated Nigeria’s cultural identity. Dignitaries in attendance included the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Barr. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin; the Erelu Kuti of Lagos, Chief Abiola Dosunmu; the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; the Olu of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi; and renowned art icon Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye, among others.
The strong turnout and quality of performances further reinforced Lagos’ status as Nigeria’s cultural and tourism capital, while highlighting the power of culture as a compelling tourism draw.
Creative Industry
FG Backs MyCityApp Launch of 100-Day Tourism Calendar to Drive $100bn Economic Growth
Joel Ajayi
The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind the launch of MyCityApp, a Nigerian city discovery and tourism platform designed to aggregate festivals, concerts, cultural events and lifestyle experiences into a single digital calendar.
The platform, which flags off the 100-Day Tourism Calendar, was unveiled on Monday at the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders’ Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos, with the initiative targeting Nigeria’s estimated $100 billion tourism and creative economy opportunity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Media and Publicity Adviser to the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the ministry said the conference was aimed at mobilising public and private stakeholders to transform the September-to-December festive period into jobs, investment and economic growth.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said millions of visitors travel across Nigeria every year to celebrate, reconnect and experience the country’s diverse culture, stressing that the festive season could be deliberately organised and monetised to strengthen tourism’s contribution to the economy.
“This initiative is about moving beyond the traditional concept of a festive season. It is about deliberately organising, packaging, promoting, and monetising one of the most economically active periods in our national calendar,” Musawa said.
She noted that every visitor generates economic activity across several sectors, including aviation, transportation, hospitality, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology, artisans and local communities.
The Minister commended MyCityApp Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Ifeoma Chukwu, for her vision and commitment to the initiative.
She urged state governments, event organisers, tourism operators, hospitality businesses and other stakeholders to list their festivals, concerts, exhibitions, food experiences, cultural celebrations, fashion and sporting events on the national calendar.
Musawa said the platform would enable Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover tourism and entertainment experiences across the country from a single, credible source.
Earlier, Chukwu said Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and creative sector provided enormous opportunities for tourism-driven economic growth.
She cited the contributions of tourism to the economies of countries such as Spain, France and the United States, arguing that Nigeria could equally build a $100 billion tourism economy.
Also present were Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka; Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugochi Madueke; NCAC Director-General, Obi Asika; National Gallery of Art Director-General, Ahmed Sodangi; ARCON Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo; and MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr Karl Toriola.
MyLagosApp and MyCityApp will serve as the digital engines of the calendar, distributing events through a 360-degree media ecosystem to audiences in Nigeria and the diaspora.
Stakeholders were encouraged to upload their events on MyCityApp to participate in the national tourism calendar urging them to upload events on http://www.MyCityApp.io.
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