By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has unveiled plans to unlock Nigeria’s vast tourism assets for investment, job creation and accelerated economic growth as the agency enters its second year under the leadership of its Director-General, Mr. Ola Awakan.
Awakan made the disclosure in Abuja while presenting his one-year scorecard as part of activities marking NTDA Tourism Week 2026 and leading to World Tourism Day.
He said the Authority would focus on building stronger partnerships and creating a system capable of connecting the country’s tourism assets to investment, technology, enterprise and sustainable economic value.
“Nigeria does not lack tourism assets. What is required is a system that connects these assets to investments, jobs, technology, enterprise and sustainable economic value,” Awakan said.
According to him, the NTDA, in the past year, concentrated on stakeholder engagement, innovation, investment facilitation, digital transformation, destination marketing, tourism intelligence and institutional development.
He said the Authority had strengthened collaboration with government agencies, traditional institutions, private-sector operators, development partners, financial institutions, professional bodies, communities and international partners.
On digital transformation, Awakan said the NTDA had advanced NITOUREY, a tourism streaming platform and content ecosystem designed to showcase Nigerian destinations, culture and experiences to wider audiences.
He said the initiative was in line with this year’s World Tourism Day theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
The NTDA boss also highlighted Naija Flavour as a flagship initiative aimed at positioning Nigerian cuisine as a tourism asset and a tool for cultural diplomacy.
He said the initiative would link tourism with Nollywood, music, fashion, food, festivals and digital creativity to expand the economic value of Nigeria’s cultural assets.
Awakan further disclosed that the Authority was digitising tourism enterprise accreditation and regulatory processes while developing a grassroots tourism framework to identify, document and promote tourism assets across the 774 local government areas.
He said the NTDA had also expanded its international engagements with tourism institutions, diplomatic missions, development partners and global organisations in technical cooperation, investment, destination marketing, capacity building, cultural diplomacy and market access.
However, Awakan identified infrastructure deficits, inadequate tourism data, limited connectivity to some destinations, security concerns, regulatory compliance gaps and insufficient private-sector participation as some of the challenges confronting the sector.
Looking ahead, he said the Authority would prioritise the mobilisation of more tourism investment, accelerated development of viable tourism assets, stronger domestic and international destination marketing and deeper digital transformation.
Other priorities, he said, include strengthening regulation, increasing community participation, building the capacity of tourism professionals and expanding partnerships with international tourism institutions.
Awakan also announced plans for an expanded Naija Flavour International Tourism Expo, which he said would be unveiled in Abuja later this year.
According to him, the expo would provide a platform for attracting international participants, investors and development partners into Nigeria’s tourism sector.
While appreciating President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve, Awakan said the NTDA remained committed to strengthening the sector and creating greater economic value from Nigeria’s tourism potential.
“One year in office is not the destination. It is a checkpoint,” he said, adding that the next phase would require stronger partnerships, greater investment and sustained institutional commitment”, he said .
Earlier, the Director of Marketing and Promotion of NTDA, Mr. Olufemi Akinyele, said the one year milestone was being commemorated as part of NTDA Tourism Week, which began with a road walk and a guided tour of Abuja.
He said the activities were organised under the theme, “Digital Vibes, Nigerian Pride: Celebrating Tourism, Culture and People.”
Meanwhile, Government and industry representatives at the event congratulated the Director-General and commended the Authority for its increased engagement with stakeholders across the tourism sector.
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