FG Launches 100-Day Tourism Calendar to Drive Nigeria’s $100bn Tourism Ambition

The Federal Government has unveiled a 100-Day Tourism Calendar aimed at bringing Nigeria’s festivals, concerts, cultural celebrations and lifestyle experiences onto one digital platform as part of efforts to grow the country’s tourism and creative economy.

The initiative, powered by MyCityApp and MyLagosApp, was launched at the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders’ Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos. It is designed to take advantage of the September-to-December festive season by connecting tourists, Nigerians in the diaspora and local visitors with events taking place across the country.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa said the government wants to turn the festive period into more than a season of celebrations. She said the goal is to create opportunities for employment, investment and businesses across the tourism and creative sectors.

“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.

The minister said tourism creates economic activity across several industries, including aviation, transportation, hotels, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology and the creative sector. She urged state governments, event organisers, tourism operators and hospitality businesses to submit their events for inclusion on the national calendar.

The platform is expected to serve as a central directory for experiences across Nigeria, allowing people at home and abroad to discover events in different cities and states. Musawa said someone in London, New York, Johannesburg or Toronto should be able to view Nigeria’s major tourism and cultural offerings in one place.

MyCityApp CEO Ifeoma Chukwu said the initiative could help Nigeria build a tourism economy worth $100 billion if the country’s cultural assets and visitor experiences are properly packaged and commercialised. She argued that the target should be viewed in the context of the economic contribution tourism makes in other countries.

The calendar is expected to feature festivals, concerts, exhibitions, food experiences, cultural events, fashion shows, sporting activities, conferences and other major programmes scheduled between September and December. Organisers say the platforms will use a wider media network to promote the experiences to audiences in Nigeria and internationally.

The initiative comes as the Federal Government seeks to expand economic activity beyond oil and increase the contribution of tourism, culture and the creative economy. However, the sector continues to face challenges including inadequate infrastructure, fragmented promotion, limited visitor data and weak coordination among operators.