Creative Industry
LIHAT Marks International Women’s Day with Landmark Hospitality, Tourism Awards to Celebrate Professionalism and Integrity
By Joel Ajayi
The Ladies in Hospitality and Tourism (LIHAT) Awards is set to commemorate International Women’s Day with a prestigious ceremony in Abuja, celebrating women who have demonstrated exceptional professionalism, integrity and leadership in Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry.
The event, scheduled to hold on March 14, 2026, at the Lake Greenfield Hotel, Abuja, is designed to spotlight excellence and honour female professionals who continue to shape and strengthen the sector.
In a statement signed on Sunday in Abuja by the Chairperson of the Organising Committee, Florence Oyelade Adedayo-Tayo, the initiative was described as a landmark platform created to recognise women who have consistently upheld high ethical standards while contributing meaningfully to the growth and development of hospitality and tourism in Nigeria.
Adedayo-Tayo, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Philoxenia Global Hospitality Limited and popularly known as Lady FOAT, made this known during an interactive media session with journalists in Abuja.
According to her, the awards will celebrate women whose resilience and dedication have enabled them to build reputable brands, mentor emerging professionals, influence policy directions and strengthen industry standards over the years.
She explained that beyond recognition, LIHAT is structured to serve as a mentorship and intergenerational dialogue platform, where young and aspiring female professionals can connect with accomplished industry leaders. This, she noted, will foster knowledge transfer, guidance and inspiration for the next generation of practitioners.
Adedayo-Tayo further stressed that inclusivity and accessibility remain central to this year’s edition, emphasizing a zero-tolerance stance toward discrimination within the industry.
She underscored the need for equal opportunities for all, including Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), and called for the creation of hospitality environments that are welcoming, accessible and empowering.
The awards have received strong institutional endorsements, reinforcing their credibility and national relevance. The event is endorsed by the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), the Association for Tourism and Hospitality Consultants in Nigeria (ATHCON), and the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN).
It also enjoys the support of the Office of the Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs, FCTA.Dignitaries expected at the gathering include the Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy; the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA); the President of FTAN; and the Honourable Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs, FCTA, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, alongside policymakers, tourism stakeholders, hospitality entrepreneurs, general managers and other industry operators.
A major highlight of the evening will be the official unveiling of the Ladies in Hospitality and Tourism Conference and Awards brand, marking the formal launch of what is expected to become a leading platform for advocacy, recognition and professional development for women in the industry.
The LIHAT Awards is poised to stand as a defining moment for Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism sector — a convergence of excellence, empowerment, policy and purpose.
Members of the public, industry stakeholders and corporate partners have been invited to participate in the historic celebration of women who are shaping the future of hospitality and tourism in Nigeria.
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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