The Head TVC News Current Affairs unit, Mr Babajide Kolade-Otitoju has called for more government investment into the Nigerian tourism sector.
Delivering his key note lecture at the 2025 Nigeria Tourism Investors Forum and Exhibition, NTIFE, in Abuja, organised by the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, FTAN, with the theme; National Tourism investment and global partnership; with the sub theme: Investing in Nigeria’s Tourism Future, kolade-Otitoju noted that while recent efforts indicate a bright future, the consensus among many stakeholders is that current government actions are insufficient to fully unlock Nigeria’s tourism potential.
He stated that more work needs to be done in the areas of infrastructure, security, and consistent well -rounded policy implementation to overcome the existing challenges.
Kolade-Otitoju explained that Nigeria’s tourism sector has potential, but is hindered by challenges like poor infrastructure, lack of cohesive marketing, underdeveloped tourism products, and insecurity.
He noted that these factors deter both foreign and domestic visitors, leading to lower international tourist numbers compared to countries like Kenya and South Africa. He, however, noted that domestic tourism is on the rise.
According to him, in 2022, tourism contributed 3.6% to the GDP, but the country lags behind other African nations in per capita tourism revenue despite its rich cultural and natural assets.
The current affairs analyst stated that Nigeria is rich in cultural and natural assets, with home to over 1,000 annual festivals, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 14 more on the tentative list, as well as diverse landscapes and vibrant cultural expressions like music, fashion, and food.
TVC News Head of current Affairs unit pointed out that the sector is seeing a rise in domestic travellers, particularly among youth, middle-class Nigerians, who are visiting destinations like Obudu Mountain Resort, Ikogosi Warm Spring and the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove.
He observed that the tourism sector is growing and is projected to continue doing so, with significant potential for economic diversification away from oil .
He, however, decried that widespread insecurity remains a significant deterrent for international visitors,
including the lack of adequate infrastructure, transport (especially roads, outside major cities) and hotel availability, which is a major challenge .
Kolade-Otitoju maintained that inadequate policy implementation and corruption have contributed to a failure to fully develop tourism potential , stressing that
despite having many assets, the country has an underdeveloped tourism product and a poor international image.
He said: “In June 1999, the government of Chief Obasanjo established the Federal Ministry of Culture & Tourism basically to promote cultural heritage: identify, develop and market Nigeria’s cultural and tourism potential. Subsequently, it was renamed the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation in 2006. In 2015, it was merged with the Ministry of Information, creating the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. More recently, the ministry was restructured into the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy to focus on developing Nigeria’s creative sector and its cultural heritage.
“Tourism in Nigeria has failed to realise its potential since 1999 owing to a number of factors I enumerated earlier and a
a continued over-reliance on oil revenue, which has diverted attention and resources from diversifying the economy, leveraging sectors like tourism”.
He pointed out that these persistent challenges have led to a lack of effective tourism products and services
While comparing with other African nations, OKolade- Otitoju maintained that
Nigeria’s tourism export income is significantly lower than that of smaller countries like The Gambia, Cape Verde and Seychelles as
in 2023, Nigeria attracted about 1.2million international visitors, whereas South Africa welcomed 8.4 million and Kenya hosted 1.95 million.
According to him, “While tourism contribution to Nigeria’s GDP has been fluctuating, it is lower compared to the higher percentages seen in countries like The Gambia (9%)
based on 2024 data regarding international tourist arrivals, the top 10 most visited countries in Africa are:
Morocco (17.4m tourists) Egypt(15.7m tourists), Tunisia (10.25m tourists)
South Africa(8.92m)
Algeria (3.5m)
Kenya (2.4m)
Tanzania (2.14m)
Zimbabwe (1.55m)
Mauritius (1.382m)
Uganda (1.372m tourists)”.
He listed Nigerian tourist sites that need upscaling and international exposure to include the Mandara Mountains in Borno and Adamawa, Zuma Rock, the Ancient Kano City Walls and the Ogbunike Caves in Anambra, Idanre Hills, Agbokim Waterfalls and Gurara Waterfalls,
the Mandara Mountains: A unique volcanic formation in Adamawa state with hiking trails and traditional village which is currently underutilized.
Kolade-Otitoju noted that many stakeholders believe the government is not doing enough to develop Nigeria’s tourism sector due to a lack of sufficient investment, poor infrastructure, policy failures and weak implementation while there are recent policy initiatives and public-private partnerships.
He said critics point to the need for more sustained efforts on infrastructure, security and consistent policy execution to truly leverage the country’s vast tourism potential.
In his words, “while there is potential and some recent moves toward improvement, the Nigerian government has not done enough to overcome the fundamental challenges holding back its tourism sector like poor roads, lack of stable electricity and inadequate maintenance at many sites deter tourists.”
He observed that while many popular spots are in remote areas without basic amenities, there is also Insufficient funding and policy failures as
budgetary allocations have been described as “tokenism” and a lack of follow-through on listed sites meaning protective measures often don’t translate to action on the ground.
Kolade-Otitoju further noted that there are ongoing issues with weak coordination, lack of community inclusion and poor management of tourist sites, adding that insecurity and a lack of consistent, favourable visa policies remain significant barriers for potential tourists
He pointed out that
travellers frequently face delays and cancellations and high costs can discourage visitors
On positive steps an future directions, Kolade-Otitoju stated that recent initiatives show a greater emphasis on collaborating with the private sector, such as the ongoing redevelopment of the Obudu Mountain Resort and the tremendous work done via PPP at the Ikogosi Warm Springs in Ekiti State that has turned the once abandoned and decaying tourist sites to a modern, picturesque eye-popping beauty
He said there is a planned move to create a National Tourism Policy to help transform the sector.
TVC News Head of Current Affairs added that the government is working on specific projects , such as rehabilitating dilapidated sites like the National War Museum and supporting state-level tourism initiatives
He said some experts push for a greater focus on domestic tourism to boost the economy with states like Adamawa actively working on this through local festivals and infrastructure upgrades.
