Oluwadarasimi Omiyale
The federal government and subnationals have intensified efforts to attract multi-billion-naira private capital and deepen small business participation in Nigeria’s tourism and creative economy, as policymakers move to reposition the sector as a key pillar of non-oil revenue generation and employment creation.
The coordinated push marks a structural shift in tourism policy, with government institutions increasingly treating the sector not as a fragmented leisure activity but as a capital-intensive investment frontier linking infrastructure, hospitality, real estate, entertainment, and creative industries into a unified economic ecosystem.
At the centre of the federal strategy is the National Infrastructural Tourism Development Initiative (NITDI), a 2026–2030 roadmap designed to integrate infrastructure development with tourism expansion and real estate investment across Nigeria.
The initiative is expected to provide a structured framework for private sector participation in tourism assets, while aligning federal infrastructure planning with destination development priorities in key cultural and hospitality corridors nationwide.
Officials familiar with the programme said NITDI is intended to address long-standing coordination gaps between tourism planning and infrastructure delivery, particularly in transport connectivity, hospitality expansion, and heritage site development.
In parallel, the federal government is finalising a nationwide tourism and economic profiling document covering all 36 states. The document will map tourism assets, hospitality capacity, cultural attractions, and infrastructure deficits, providing a data-driven investment guide for private capital.
Lagos leads states’ tourism commercialisation push
At the state level, Lagos has emerged as the most aggressive driver of tourism-linked economic strategy, positioning itself as a commercial hub where entertainment, hospitality, and creative industries converge to generate structured economic value.
Idris Aregbe, special adviser to the Lagos State governor on tourism, arts and culture, said the state is deliberately building a framework that integrates tourism with commerce and enterprise development.
He said Lagos is working to position tourism as a core economic driver through structured hospitality expansion, cultural programming, and SME integration across value chains.
“The idea is to create a movement where entertainment powers commerce and Lagos creativity fuels economic growth,” Aregbe said.
According to him, tourism programmes in the state are increasingly designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises across retail, events management, hospitality services, and creative production.
One of the flagship initiatives driving this strategy is the Lagos Tourism NBC Trade Fair, co-produced with Naija Brand Chick, which has evolved into a major commercial platform for small businesses operating within the tourism ecosystem.
The April 2025 edition reportedly attracted more than 220 vendors and an estimated 75,000 attendees on Lagos Island, generating sales running into billions of naira. State officials said the event alone recorded over N1 billion in actual transactions, while a subsequent edition in Ikeja further expanded commercial activity among participating SMEs.
Government officials say such initiatives reflect a deliberate policy shift toward positioning tourism not only as a visitor attraction strategy but also as a structured marketplace for SME growth, job creation, and informal sector formalisation.
The Lagos State government is also strengthening operational coordination across government agencies to support tourism management, safety, and mobility during peak travel seasons.
Aregbe said multiple agencies have been integrated into a year-round tourism readiness framework designed to ensure service delivery during high-traffic periods such as festive seasons, holidays, and major cultural festivals.
Agencies involved include the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Lagos State Safety Commission, Civil Defence Corps, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and the Rapid Response Squad.
The objective, according to officials, is to position Lagos as a “visitor-ready” city throughout the year, particularly during peak tourism cycles such as Detty December and international festival seasons.
In another major initiative, Lagos has introduced a structured tourism calendar branded “101 Days in Lagos”, designed to consolidate events into a unified seasonal tourism product.
Officials say the framework aims to improve visibility for cultural and entertainment events while increasing revenue generation across hospitality, transport, retail, and entertainment value chains.
The state is also investing in workforce development through its Skill Up Lagos programme, which has reportedly trained more than 1,000 creatives over the past two years as part of efforts to strengthen the talent base of the creative and tourism economy.
States align with tourism infrastructure investment
Beyond Lagos, several states are also aligning tourism development with infrastructure investment strategies, reflecting a growing recognition of the sector as a viable alternative revenue source amid fiscal pressures and declining oil revenues.
Enugu State, for example, is investing in tourism infrastructure projects including the rehabilitation of hospitality assets and the development of amusement parks and cultural destinations. The redevelopment of key facilities such as the Presidential Hotel project is part of a broader strategy to reposition the state as a competitive tourism destination in southeastern Nigeria.
Industry stakeholders say such moves reflect a subnational shift toward monetising tourism assets as part of long-term economic diversification strategies.
At the regional level, improvements in aviation connectivity are also supporting tourism expansion across West Africa.
The launch of international flight operations from Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo to Accra, Ghana, is expected to strengthen cross-border travel flows and create new opportunities for tourism, trade, and business mobility.
Analysts say air connectivity remains a critical enabler of tourism growth, particularly in markets where road infrastructure and intercity transport systems remain underdeveloped.
Despite structural opportunities, analysts caution that the sustainability of tourism investment growth in Nigeria will depend on regulatory stability, infrastructure delivery, security conditions, and ease of doing business.
Trevor Ward, a hospitality and leisure industry specialist at W Hospitality Group, said Nigeria remains one of Africa’s most active hotel development markets, driven by long-term investor expectations despite macroeconomic challenges.
He noted that high operating costs and foreign exchange volatility continue to pose risks, but investor interest remains anchored on Nigeria’s population size and long-term demand potential.
Policy experts argue that the current wave of initiatives reflects a fundamental repositioning of tourism within Nigeria’s economic structure.
Tourism is increasingly being treated as an investment sector rather than a cultural or recreational activity, with stronger integration between infrastructure planning, SME development, and private capital mobilisation.
Urban development specialists also note that tourism growth is becoming closely linked with city planning, real estate expansion, and regeneration projects that support broader economic ecosystems.
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