Nigeria is moving to turn its rich calendar of festivals, concerts, cultural celebrations and lifestyle experiences into a more coordinated economic opportunity with the launch of a 100-Day Tourism Calendar covering activities from September to December.
Backed by the Federal Government, the initiative is designed to bring Nigeria’s diverse tourism and cultural offerings together on a single digital platform, making it easier for Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover experiences taking place across the country.
The programme forms part of efforts to strengthen tourism, culture and the creative industries as contributors to national economic growth, with organisers putting forward the prospect of a $100bn tourism economy.
Ifeoma Chukwu, Chief Executive Officer of MyCityApp, said the figure reflects what Nigeria could achieve by properly packaging its cultural assets and visitor experiences. She pointed to the role tourism plays in major economies and argued that Nigeria has the resources to build a substantial industry around its own attractions.
“When we speak about building a $100 billion tourism economy, it may sound ambitious but globally, the evidence tells us it is achievable,” Chukwu said.
She added, “The question is not whether a $100 billion tourism economy is possible. It is: why not Nigeria?”
The timing of the calendar is deliberate. September through December is one of the busiest periods on Nigeria’s cultural and entertainment calendar, bringing a surge of festivals, concerts, travel, hospitality and other commercial activities.
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said the period should be treated as an economic window capable of generating jobs, attracting investment and creating opportunities for businesses rather than as a season of festivities alone.
“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.
Tourism spending also reaches far beyond the venue of an event. Visitors require flights and other forms of transport, accommodation, food, entertainment and retail services, while technology companies, artisans and host communities also stand to benefit.
“Every visitor creates a value chain, from aviation and transportation to hotels, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology, artisans, and local communities. Within these value chains are opportunities for businesses, jobs, investment, and livelihoods,” the minister stated.
Nigeria already has a deep pool of festivals, historical sites, entertainment events and creative enterprises. What has often been missing is a reliable way of presenting these experiences collectively. Fragmented promotion, inadequate infrastructure, weak visitor data and limited coordination among operators remain longstanding difficulties within the sector.
The new calendar seeks to tackle the visibility problem by putting activities from different cities and states in one place.
Its listings are expected to cover festivals, concerts, exhibitions, food experiences, cultural celebrations, fashion and sporting events, conferences and other major activities taking place between September and December.
The intended audience is not limited to people already living in Nigeria. Musawa said the platform could give Nigerians abroad and international travellers a clearer view of the country’s events before deciding where and when to visit.
“We want to create a single, credible, and compelling platform through which Nigerians, the diaspora, and international visitors can discover what is happening across Nigeria. Imagine someone sitting in London, New York, Johannesburg, or Toronto being able to see, in one place, the extraordinary experiences available across Nigeria,” she said.
MyCityApp and MyLagosApp will support the initiative through a 360-degree media ecosystem aimed at audiences in Nigeria and overseas.
The calendar was unveiled at the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders’ Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos. Dr. Nneka Anibeze, Senior Special Assistant to Musawa, confirmed the development on Tuesday.
Musawa commended Chukwu for driving the initiative and urged state governments and private-sector operators to take part.
Event organisers, tourism operators, hospitality businesses and state governments have been asked to submit activities scheduled for the September-to-December period through the MyCityApp platform.
The Federal Government sees tourism, culture and the creative economy as part of its strategy to reduce dependence on oil and widen the sources of national economic activity.
The 100-Day Tourism Calendar puts that ambition to work at the point where culture meets commerce: bringing Nigeria’s festivals, destinations, creative events and visitor experiences into clearer view and giving businesses across the tourism chain a larger platform from which to reach their audiences.
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