The Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has urged tourism stakeholders to leverage accurate data, technology and stronger collaboration to unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s tourism industry.
Musawa made the call while welcoming delegates and international visitors to the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market, one of the leading tourism exhibitions in the West African subregion, currently holding in Lagos.
The minister said Nigeria’s travel and tourism industry was increasingly turning to digital solutions to transform the way visitors discover destinations, attractions and tourism experiences across the country.
She stressed that reliable tourism data and statistics were critical to understanding the sector, strengthening the tourism value chain and enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions.
“It’s only when you know about it that you can speak with power. So, I think the real energy here is to have the knowledge and the facts. Having top-notch statistics is very key,” Musawa said.
According to her, access to accurate tourism data would enable operators, policymakers and other stakeholders to better understand the industry while improving connections among the various components of the tourism value chain.
Musawa also encouraged Nigerian tourism stakeholders to key into the Federal Government’s broader tourism development initiatives, particularly the Tourism App, which she described as a digital platform designed to provide information on tourism opportunities across Nigeria and Africa.
She said the application would help travellers and industry operators discover destinations, attractions and tourism products across Nigeria, including experiences developed by individual states.
Musawa Seeks Stronger African Collaboration
The minister also called for stronger cooperation among African countries and tourism stakeholders, stressing that tourism had emerged as an important frontier for economic expansion across the Global South.
“Let’s work as one, West Africa, of course Africa, and the world. The Global South is looking to us, and we are looking at tourism as the next frontier in terms of the economic expansion that we all need,” she said.
While welcoming international delegates and visitors to Nigeria, Musawa described the country as friendly and hospitable, highlighting its diverse destinations, cultural heritage, hospitality and tourism experiences.
She also used the travel exhibition to showcase Nigeria’s rich culinary heritage, particularly its iconic jollof rice.
In a light-hearted moment, the minister declared that Nigerian jollof remained the best, while revealing efforts to develop what she called “Unity Jollof.”
“I hope you taste the jollof rice, because the jollof rice in Nigeria is still the best,” she said, recommending the smoky-style jollof associated with Lagos.
Akwaaba Celebrates 22 Years of Tourism Promotion
Musawa commended the organisers of the Akwaaba African Travel Market for sustaining the exhibition for 22 years, expressing optimism that the platform would continue to expand its contribution to Nigeria’s tourism industry.
The annual exhibition has become an important meeting point for airlines, hotel chains, hospitality businesses, ICT firms, travel operators and other tourism stakeholders from Nigeria, Africa and beyond.
The 22nd edition attracted delegates and visitors from several African countries, including The Gambia, Cameroon, Gabon, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania, Benin Republic and South Africa.
The return of South African Airways to the Akwaaba exhibition was also highlighted as part of the growing international participation in the event.
Technology companies were among the notable new entrants at this year’s exhibition, reflecting the growing role of ICT in the hospitality and tourism industry.
One participant said the increasing use of technology by hotels was changing the hospitality experience, particularly in areas such as security and guest convenience.
“We have to learn about new technology in the hospitality sector. You know hotels have changed a lot of things leveraging ICT. The improvement in door key in guestrooms in some hotels is a welcome development. It’s an improvement in safety and security,” the participant said.
The growing presence of technology firms at Akwaaba underscores the changing face of Nigeria’s tourism industry, as digital innovation, reliable information and cross-border collaboration increasingly become central to how destinations attract visitors and compete in the global tourism market.