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The Federal Government has officially unveiled MyCityApp, a Nigerian city discovery and tourism platform that aggregates festivals, concerts, and lifestyle experiences into one digital calendar.

Nneka Ikem Anibeze, Ph.D, SA Media & Publicity to the Minister, Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy (FMACCE/PS) in a statement said MyCityApp, which flags off the 100-Day Tourism Calendar aimed at unlocking Nigeria's $100 billion tourism economy, was launched on Monday during the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders' Conference held in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The conference aims to rally public and private stakeholders to convert the September to December festive season into jobs and economic growth. It is expected to unlock Nigeria’s $100 billion tourism and creative economy opportunity.

At the unveiling ceremony, the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, Esq., noted that millions of visitors troop into the country every year to celebrate, reconnect, and spend time across cities and communities. She said the festive period could be converted into jobs and investment to make tourism a stronger contributor to the national economy.

“This initiative is about moving beyond the traditional concept of a festive season. It is about deliberately organising, packaging, promoting, and monetising one of the most economically active periods in our national calendar.

“Every visitor creates a value chain — from aviation and transportation to hotels, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology, artisans, and local communities. Within these value chains are opportunities for businesses, jobs, investment, and livelihoods,” Musawa said.

The Minister thanked the Chief Executive Officer of MyCityApp, Mrs. Ifeoma Chukwu, whose vision, doggedness, and commitment were instrumental in driving the initiative.

She also called on state governments, event organisers, tourism operators, hospitality businesses, and other stakeholders to populate the national Ember2Remember calendar with festivals, concerts, cultural events, and tourism experiences scheduled for September to December.

“If you are organising a festival, concert, exhibition, food experience, cultural celebration, fashion event, sporting event, tourism experience, conference, or any major activity during this period, we want it on the national calendar.

“We want to create a single, credible, and compelling platform through which Nigerians, the diaspora, and international visitors can discover what is happening across Nigeria. Imagine someone sitting in London, New York, Johannesburg, or Toronto being able to see, in one place, the extraordinary experiences available across Nigeria,” Musawa stated.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of MyCityApp, Mrs. Ifeoma Chukwu, described Nigeria’s rich culture as one of the most vibrant creative industries in the world, with an opportunity to turn every visitor’s experience into economic value.

“When we speak about building a $100 billion tourism economy, it may sound ambitious. But globally, the evidence tells us it is achievable. In 2024, tourism contributed over $270 billion to Spain’s economy, about $289 billion to France, and more than $2.5 trillion to the economy of the United States. So, the question is not whether a $100 billion tourism economy is possible. It is: why not Nigeria?” Mrs. Chukwu queried.

Also in attendance were the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, the Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Barr. Ugochi Madueke, representative of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, the Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Obi Asika, Director-General, National Gallery of Art, Ahmed Sodangi, the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, and the CEO of MTN Nigeria, Dr. Karl Toriola, among other stakeholders.

MyLagosApp and MyCityApp will serve as the digital engine for the calendar, distributing events through a 360-degree media ecosystem to Nigerians at home and in the diaspora. Stakeholders were urged to upload events on http://www.MyCityApp.io.

By Blessing Otobong-gabriel 

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has emphasized the importance of incorporating tourism, creative, and cultural industries into the country's curriculum. 

The Minister disclosed this at the thematic conference on boosting social impact and education in tourism through innovation, AI, and creative industries in Africa that this move aims to unlock the potential of these sectors and drive economic growth.

"One crucial aspect that bears mentioning is education. Incorporating tourism and the importance of creative and cultural industries into the curriculum, particularly within the Justice School, could be beneficial. 

"This is because culture plays a significant role in promoting tourism, and tourism, in turn, can drive economic growth. By educating young people about the value of their cultural heritage and traditions, we can empower them to appreciate and preserve their roots".

According to her,  This education can also encourage young people to explore opportunities in the creative and cultural sectors, ultimately contributing to the growth of Nigeria's tourism industry." 

"One of the things I forgot to mention earlier on is the issue of education. I think if you bring down to base the education within the curriculum, within the Justice School curriculum, about tourism and about the need for young people to engage in the creative industry or in the cultural industry, because it is the culture that really propagates the tourism and within tourism as well, that really will help. And part of that education is also for young people to go back to our values and our traditions and our cultures".

She also stated that hospitality is a vital aspect of Nigerian culture, and our tradition of respect plays a significant role in it. To leverage this, our young people should balance embracing modern trends with preserving traditional values like showing respect to elders. This blend of old and new will foster a warm and welcoming environment for tourists.

Speaking on innovation, she said artificial Intelligence (AI) can significantly impact our tourism industry, but we need regulations to ensure it benefits us positively. While AI can process information quickly, it's essential to preserve the authenticity and uniqueness of our creative works. 

Hannatu noted, " to drive growth in the creative and tourism sectors, we need Initiatives like the Creative Economy Development Fund to support small and medium-scale businesses, promoting economic growth, saying collaboration between government agencies, private sector organizations, and cultural institutions is crucial for success.

Also UN Tourism Secretary-General, Hon Zurab Pololikashvili said the world has a limited understanding of Africa, but that's why we're here – to leverage tourism for security, culture, and peace. Despite 58 ongoing conflicts worldwide, tourism plays a vital role in promoting peace and understanding and today, we're combining education, innovation, and creative industries to drive growth.

According to him, Nigeria's diversity is remarkable, with 230 languages and cultures. This diversity is a strength, but it requires support and investment to unlock its potential. Talent is abundant in Africa, particularly among young people, but they need access to resources like computers, books, and the internet to develop their skills.

"We've made progress in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, but more needs to be done. Our forums and conferences provide a platform for discussion and collaboration". 

He said, "Tourism requires patience, hard work, and long-term investment. We've developed a 10-point plan to transform Africa's tourism sector, and I'm confident that with collective effort, we can achieve great things. Let's continue working together to promote tourism, innovation, and economic growth in Africa.