Nigeria has taken a major step toward economic diversification with the launch of a comprehensive tourism report designed to position the sector as a key driver of growth, employment, and global competitiveness.
Titled Nigeria’s Tourism Economy Unveiled: A Sector-Wide Mapping for Economic Transformation, the report provides the most extensive analysis of Nigeria’s tourism industry to date and sets out a strategic roadmap for policy reform, investment attraction, and inclusive development.
The study was led by Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, and is based on extensive research conducted across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. It examines the full tourism value chain and highlights the sector’s untapped potential to contribute meaningfully to national economic planning.
Minister Musawa described the unveiling as a defining moment for Nigeria’s tourism industry, noting that tourism is now firmly positioned as a central pillar of economic strategy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The report underscores tourism’s role in promoting inclusive growth, empowering local communities, and improving Nigeria’s global image.
According to the findings, Nigeria’s tourism sector is resilient and people-focused, driven largely by domestic travel and community-based enterprises. Key segments identified include accommodation, food and beverage services, transportation, entertainment and leisure, and business tourism, all of which contribute significantly to employment and economic activity.
The report highlights tourism’s strong potential for job creation, particularly for youth and women, while also supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, especially in rural areas.
At the same time, it acknowledges challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, fragmented regulations, skills shortages, and limited access to finance.
To address these constraints, the report proposes a coordinated national framework aligned with broader economic planning, alongside targeted investments in infrastructure, skills development, and data-driven policy implementation.
Minister Musawa emphasized that effective implementation will be critical, noting that the report provides a unified reference point for government, investors, and communities. With sustained commitment, the tourism sector is expected to become a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economic transformation.