The Federal Government has launched a 100-day national tourism season aimed at promoting cultural events, tourism and creative experiences across Nigeria from September to December.
Known as “Ember to Remember 2026”, the initiative was unveiled on Monday at a national stakeholders’ conference in Lagos, with MyCityApp providing the digital platform for a National Digital Events and Experiences Calendar.
The initiative will bring together festivals, concerts, exhibitions, cultural celebrations, food experiences, fashion shows, sporting activities and other tourism-related events taking place across the country.
The government said the programme was designed to stimulate economic activity, create jobs and attract investment to the tourism and creative sectors.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said the festive period provided an opportunity to increase tourism’s contribution to the national economy.
Musawa said the initiative was intended to transform the traditional festive season into a structured period of tourism promotion, business activity and investment.
She explained that visitors generated economic opportunities across several sectors, including aviation, transportation, hospitality, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology, artisan businesses and local communities.
The minister urged state governments, event organisers, tourism operators, hospitality businesses and other stakeholders to submit details of their events for inclusion in the national calendar.
According to her, the digital platform will help Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors identify and access tourism and cultural experiences in different parts of the country.
Musawa said the initiative formed part of efforts to unlock what its organisers described as a $100 billion tourism and creative economy opportunity for Nigeria.
The Chief Executive Officer of MyCityApp, Ifeoma Mbonu, said Nigeria could significantly expand its tourism economy by leveraging its cultural diversity and creative industries.
Mbonu described the $100 billion tourism economy target as ambitious but achievable, pointing to the contribution of tourism to the economies of other countries.
She said Nigeria needed to improve tourism infrastructure, promote its destinations and develop platforms that would make it easier for visitors to discover and participate in experiences across the country.
The conference was attended by the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka; Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugochi Madueke; Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Obi Asika; Director-General of the National Gallery of Art, Ahmed Sodangi; Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, Olalekan Fadolapo; and Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, among other stakeholders.
MyCityApp will provide the central digital platform for the National Digital Events and Experiences Calendar, featuring tourism and cultural activities scheduled across Nigeria during the 100-day season.
