Dr Ola Awakan, Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), has described structure, funding and infrastructure as key priorities for tourism development in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Awakan stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday to mark the 2026 World Tourism Day.
The occasion was also used to commemorate his first year in office as NTDA director-general.
“The major challenge in the tourism sector, the first is lack of structure. If we are able to have the right structure in place, then we will be able to command respect,” he said.
Awakan also identified funding as critical to tourism development, saying inadequate financing could limit the sector’s economic impact and contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Funding is critical for tourism development. Because if you don’t put money into it, you won’t get the required results and impact that it should give to the economy,” he said.
He said infrastructure was another key challenge, noting that tourist destinations required adequate infrastructure to attract visitors and support tourism development.
“For all tourist destinations that we have, if we don’t have the right infrastructure in place, then we will not be able to drive traffic to those places,” Awakan said.
The director-general said NTDA was working to reposition itself beyond tourism promotion to include development, regulation, investment facilitation, destination marketing, stakeholder coordination and tourism intelligence.
He said the authority was also advancing digital accreditation and regulatory processes for tourism enterprises to improve quality, confidence and competitiveness within the industry.
Awakan said the future of tourism marketing was digital, noting that the agency was developing the NITOUREY initiative as a dedicated tourism streaming platform and digital content ecosystem.
He said the platform would showcase Nigerian destinations, people, culture and experiences to wider audiences, while digital tools and artificial intelligence would support tourism development.
“The Tourism Dedicated Streaming Plan that we are working on aligns with my thought on storytelling to transform the tourism sector and also aligns with this year’s World Tourism Day theme,” he said.
Awakan said NTDA was also working to promote Nigerian cuisine as a tourism asset through Niger Flavour, linking food tourism with farmers, processors, chefs, restaurants and communities.
He said the authority’s grassroots tourism framework sought to identify, document, develop and promote tourism assets across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
“Tourism begins in communities where festivals, crafts, heritage sites, indigenous cuisine, landscapes and stories are preserved,” he said.
According to him, NTDA has expanded collaboration with tourism institutions, diplomatic missions, development partners and international organisations on technical cooperation, investment, destination marketing and capacity building.
Awakan said the authority had focused on stakeholder engagement, innovation, investment facilitation, digital transformation, regulation, visibility and institution building during his first year as director-general.
He said the organisation would prioritise tourism investment, destination marketing, regulation, tourism data, community participation, professional capacity building, safety and responsible travel.
According to him, his appointment as chairman of the African Travel Commission has provided another platform for continental tourism cooperation, intra-African travel, connectivity, cultural exchange and tourism investment.
He also announced plans to unveil the Naija Flavour International Tourism Expo, NAFITO, in Abuja, saying the initiative would bring together communications and Public Relations experts from more than 150 countries.
According to him, the expo is being planned in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to attract investors and development partners to Nigeria’s tourism sector.
Awakan said the authority was also working to rebrand the tour guidance system in Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen the sector.
He urged Nigerians to use digital platforms and artificial intelligence to promote the country’s culture, arts,heritage and tourism destinations.
“Rather than using your phones for other things, you can go anywhere and use your phone to propagate the right agenda and message embedded in our culture, art and heritage,” he said.
The director-general said tourism could support economic diversification by attracting investment.
In her remarks, Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, commended Awakan’s leadership during his first year.
Musawa, who was represented by Alice Onioriode, Assistant Director, Domestic Tourism Promotion, said the authority had recorded sustained programmes and engagements within and outside Nigeria aimed at promoting destinations, attracting investment and strengthening partnerships.
She described tourism as an instrument for economic diversification, employment creation, cultural preservation and community development.
Also speaking, Dr Aliyu Badaki, President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), commended Awakan for his commitment and willingness to collaborate.
“I always see humility in him, I always see respect in him, I always see honesty in him, and I always see that zeal to collaborate,” Badaki said.
In his goodwill remarks, Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Fashion Week, Lexy Mojo-Eyes, described Awakan as an open and approachable leader, saying collaboration remained important to tourism development.
“Collaboration is everything because we cannot do everything by ourselves. We just want to bring to the table the little we can bring,” Mojo-Eyes said.
He encouraged Nigerians to visit and develop domestic tourism sites, saying the country has numerous attractions capable of providing diverse tourism experiences.
Dr Oladipo Adekunle, NTDA Director of Human Resources, in his vote of thanks, appreciated stakeholders for attending the first anniversary celebration.
Adekunle said he had spent almost 35 years in the agency and described the authority as home, promising continued support despite his expected departure.
NAN reports that World Tourism Day is celebrated annually on Sept. 27 to raise awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic importance.
Highpoints of the event included exhibitions of North Central cuisines, traditional dances, and display of cultural attire.(NAN)
