By Jimoh Babatunde
For decades, Nigeria’s tourism sector has been described as a sleeping giant—rich in culture, heritage, festivals and natural attractions, yet largely underexploited economically. While policymakers and stakeholders have often spoken about unlocking the sector’s vast potential, tangible platforms that translate that promise into business opportunities have remained limited.
However, the forthcoming NTDA Marketplace, an initiative of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), seeks to change that narrative by creating a dynamic platform where tourism businesses, cultural entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers can converge to showcase opportunities, forge partnerships and stimulate real economic activity.
In this interview, the Director-General of NTDA, Ola Awakan, explains why the Marketplace represents a major shift in the country’s tourism development strategy and how it aligns with the broader vision of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy led by Hannatu Musa Musawa.
From conversation to commerce
According to Awakan, discussions about tourism in Nigeria have often centred on policy frameworks and the enormous potential of the sector. The NTDA Marketplace, he said, is designed to shift the focus from rhetoric to real business engagement.
“For a long time, tourism conversations in Nigeria have focused on policy and potential. What the NTDA Marketplace does is move tourism from conversation to commerce,” he said.
He explained that the initiative will create a structured ecosystem where tourism enterprises—from tour operators and cultural performers to hospitality providers and creative entrepreneurs—can interact directly with investors and business partners.
The concept, he noted, builds on the success of earlier cultural showcases such as Naija Flavour, which held in December and highlighted Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity through food, fashion, music and arts.
“The Marketplace expands that idea by creating a more structured platform where tourism enterprises can grow, attract investment and reach new markets,” Awakan explained.
Economic opportunities for small businesses
One of the central objectives of the Marketplace is to strengthen the participation of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism value chain.
Awakan noted that tourism SMEs often struggle to access financing, partnerships and visibility, despite their important role in driving local tourism experiences.
“The Marketplace will stimulate direct business activity by giving SMEs the opportunity to sell products, attract partnerships and access new markets,” he said.
Beyond immediate transactions, he said the platform will allow tourism entrepreneurs to engage directly with banks, investors and corporate organisations.
This interaction, he added, could open doors to financing opportunities and help small tourism businesses formalise and expand their operations.
In a deliberate effort to encourage participation, NTDA has made the event free for SMEs.
“Participation in the Marketplace is completely free for SMEs as part of our commitment to supporting tourism entrepreneurs and encouraging small businesses in the sector to thrive bigger and better,” he said.
Tourism and economic diversification
Awakan believes that strengthening the tourism ecosystem could significantly contribute to Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.
Tourism, he noted, is not an isolated industry but a sector that connects several parts of the economy including hospitality, transportation, agriculture, culture and the creative industries.
“In the long term, the bigger impact will be enterprise development and job creation across the tourism value chain,” he said.
By expanding opportunities within the sector, he added, tourism can help generate employment while also creating new sources of national revenue.
Attracting global attention
Another major objective of the NTDA Marketplace is to position Nigeria as both a tourism destination and an investment destination.
Awakan explained that many of Nigeria’s tourism assets—from cultural festivals and heritage sites to eco-tourism locations and hospitality projects—remain largely unknown to global investors and international travellers.
The Marketplace, he said, will provide a platform to showcase these opportunities in a coordinated manner.
“It creates visibility for hospitality projects, cultural destinations, eco-tourism assets and tourism infrastructure opportunities that investors may not ordinarily see,” he noted.
Beyond infrastructure, he emphasised that tourism thrives on storytelling and authentic cultural experiences.
“Nigeria is a microcosm of stories—from our diverse cultures and festivals to our cuisine, heritage sites and vibrant creative industries. Today’s travellers are looking for authentic experiences, and Nigeria offers an extraordinary range of them,” he said.
Aligning with national cultural policy
Awakan also stressed that the initiative aligns closely with the strategic vision of the Federal Government to harness culture and creativity as drivers of economic growth.
Under the leadership of Musawa, the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy has placed renewed emphasis on leveraging Nigeria’s cultural assets to expand the creative economy.
According to Awakan, tourism naturally sits at the intersection of culture, entertainment, heritage and creative enterprise.
“The Marketplace creates a practical platform where these sectors intersect to generate economic value,” he explained.
A regional tourism hub in the making
Looking ahead, Awakan revealed that the long-term vision is for the NTDA Marketplace to evolve into a recurring national and eventually regional tourism trade platform.
Such a platform, he said, could position Nigeria as a major tourism and cultural business hub in West Africa.
“We see the Marketplace evolving into a regular tourism trade platform where businesses, investors and cultural enterprises come together,” he said.
With its population size, cultural diversity and creative energy, Awakan believes Nigeria has the capacity to become a leading tourism destination on the continent—if the right ecosystems are consistently developed.
For industry stakeholders, the NTDA Marketplace may well represent the beginning of that transformation: a step toward turning Nigeria’s vast tourism potential into sustainable economic prosperity.
2026-03-17