The federal government has unveiled a new national tourism initiative, “Ember to Remember,” a 100-day programme designed to reposition Nigeria as a leading tourism destination.

The Initiative seeks to harness the economic potential of culture, hospitality, entertainment and the creative economy.

Speaking at the unveiling, the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hanatu Musawa, said the initiative would run from September to December with the aim of moving Nigeria’s tourism narrative beyond the traditional December “Detty December” period and deliberately creating a broader economic ecosystem capable of generating jobs, attracting investment and increasing domestic and international tourism.

Musawa pointed out that Nigeria’s tourism potential extends far beyond December, stressing that the country’s culture, festivals, cuisine, fashion, heritage, hospitality, natural attractions and creative energy are available throughout the year.

“For many years, December has become the month most associated with Nigeria’s tourism, entertainment and homecoming experience. It is a beautiful season, and one we should continue to celebrate. But Nigeria is much bigger than December alone,” the minister said.

The minister commended Nigeria’s creative sector for independently building the country’s December entertainment and tourism economy, noting that the time had come for government and the private sector to provide a coordinated structure capable of maximising the opportunities the sector has created.

The minister explained that Ember to Remember would provide a coordinated September-to-December tourism season linking culture, tourism, entertainment, hospitality, transportation, commerce and the creative economy.

The initiative, according to the minister, is intended to create economic value from tourism experiences by ensuring that increased visitor traffic benefits hotels, restaurants, transport operators, tour guides, retailers, event organisers, local communities and other businesses.

“When people travel, hotels benefit. When hotels fill up, restaurants, transport operators, tour guides, retailers and even businesses benefit. When festivals attract visitors, communities benefit,” the minister said.

The Initiative, she said, will also leverage technology to create a single national tourism discovery platform through which Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors can access information about events, festivals, destinations, hotels, restaurants and cultural experiences across the country.

The minister described the objective as “one country, one national calendar, one trusted place to discover Nigeria.”

“Through the partnership with digital platform partner My City Act, the government plans to bring together tourism experiences from Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory and distribute them to audiences in Nigeria and abroad,” she added.

The minister said the ambition was bigger than creating another event calendar, describing the initiative as an attempt to establish a national tourism infrastructure.

The initiative is also being positioned as part of the Federal Government’s broader ambition to build a $1 trillion Nigerian economy.

The minister said the creative, cultural and tourism sectors could make a significant contribution to achieving the target if properly structured and supported through strong collaboration between government and the private sector.

The minister acknowledged that Nigeria had not yet reached the level of economic contribution targeted for the sector but expressed confidence that deliberate policy interventions and partnerships could unlock its potential.

Citing South Korea as an example, the minister said the country’s experience demonstrated the importance of the government establishing a strong partnership with the creative and tourism industries and the private sector.

According to the minister, Nigeria must similarly move beyond fragmented efforts and establish a framework through which tourism, culture and creativity can contribute measurably to national economic development.

The minister also emphasised the importance of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy in implementing the initiative, saying each agency had a specific role in protecting, promoting and presenting Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage.

Rather than replacing existing programmes, the minister said, Ember to Remember would bring them together, amplify their impact and give them a broader national and international platform.

The Initiative is also expected to complement the National Council for Arts and Culture’s broader “Nigeria Season” calendar, with the long-term objective of eventually extending the coordinated tourism approach from January to December.

The minister cited cultural festivals and community-based tourism experiences across the country as examples of attractions that could be incorporated into the broader national tourism calendar.

As part of the rollout, the Federal Government announced that the Ember to Remember National Stakeholders Conference would be held on September 14, 2026, at Eko Hotel, Lagos.

The conference is expected to bring together federal and state governments, tourism authorities, private-sector operators, financial institutions, airlines, hospitality businesses, creative industry leaders, technology companies, media organisations and relevant government agencies.

The minister said the calendar would feature festivals, concerts, cultural celebrations, conferences, destinations and other tourism experiences across Nigeria, creating what was described as “four months, one continuous story, one beautiful Nigeria.”

The conference will also examine critical areas affecting the tourism economy, including aviation, hospitality, transportation, digital infrastructure, investment, culture, events and the overall visitor experience.

The minister called for greater involvement from financial institutions and other private-sector organisations in developing Nigeria’s tourism ecosystem.

The minister specifically acknowledged the role of partners in the initiative.

The minister further disclosed that the ministry had been working on a revamped national tourism policy and a new tourism structure aimed at strengthening coordination across government institutions.

According to the minister, the revised structure has been taken to the Federal Executive Council and signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The minister said the new framework would bring relevant sectors, including aviation and interior-related institutions, into a coordinated tourism development structure.

The objective, the minister explained, is to ensure that tourism development is no longer treated as the responsibility of a single ministry or agency but as a national economic priority requiring coordinated action across government and industry.

The minister also appealed to Nigerians living abroad to return home and participate in the country’s tourism and creative economy.

Using the popular Nigerian expression “japa” for emigration, the minister humorously urged Nigerians in the diaspora to “japada” back to Nigeria and experience the country beyond a single city or the traditional December period.

The minister encouraged Nigerians to travel across the country, visit festivals, experience local cuisine, explore cultural heritage and support businesses operating within the tourism ecosystem.

The minister highlighted potential tourism routes connecting cities and regions such as Lagos and Calabar, Abuja and Jos, Enugu and Kano, as well as destinations and communities where unique Nigerian cultural experiences can be found.

The minister also emphasised the role of the media in promoting the initiative and reshaping international perceptions of Nigeria.

The media, the minister said, would be required to help tell a broader story that connects entertainment with culture, tourism with investment, experiences with employment and national pride with economic opportunity.

The minister urged journalists and media organisations to deliberately showcase Nigeria’s cultural diversity, tourism destinations, festivals, food, heritage and creative industries over the 100-day period.

“It is time for us to tell our own story intentionally and deliberately. It is time to market Nigeria to the world with the confidence that our culture, our people and our experience deserve,” the minister said.

The minister stressed that the initiative was not merely about celebrating Nigeria but about repositioning the country, reclaiming its stories and transforming cultural and tourism assets into sustainable economic opportunities.

The minister also emphasised the need for continuity beyond political administrations, saying the initiative’s success must not depend solely on the tenure of the current government or minister.

The minister said efforts had been made to institutionalise Ember to Remember within the ministry so that it could survive changes in government and continue as a national tourism programme.

“Governments are transient, but Nigeria, in my mind, is eternal. Nigeria is going to be eternal,” the minister said, urging all stakeholders to see the initiative as a national project rather than a government programme.

The minister called on states, federal agencies, private-sector partners, tourism operators, theatres, media organisations and Nigerians at home and abroad to participate in the initiative.

While Ember to Remember’s immediate focus is the September-to-December period, the minister said the long-term ambition is to build a year-round national tourism calendar.

The initiative is expected to work alongside the National Council for Arts and Culture’s Nigeria Season, with the eventual objective of connecting major cultural festivals and tourism experiences throughout the year.

The minister said Nigeria had a vast range of festivals, cultural traditions, food experiences, heritage sites and natural attractions that could be incorporated into a national tourism story.

The 100-day programme is therefore being positioned as the beginning of a larger effort to transform Nigeria’s tourism ecosystem into a structured, commercially viable and internationally competitive industry.

The minister concluded by describing the initiative as a collective national movement aimed at turning culture into opportunity, tourism experiences into economic activity and Nigeria’s national story into a global attraction.

“One country, one calendar, one people, one unforgettable season,” the minister said

Ifeoma Mbouno, Chief Executive Officer of MyCity App, said the tourism app seeks to connect people to Nigerian events, destinations, hospitality, culture, experiences, and government services.

Mbouno said the app is creating a national digital event experiences calendar, which will be unveiled at the National Stakeholders Conference on 14 September 2026.

The mission, according to her, is to link people worldwide with happenings in Nigeria from September to December.

The App, she said, should be one place to find the answer to the question of what is happening in Nigeria.

She said the app will include details of major concerts in Lagos and cultural festivals across the state: “the Carnaval, food festivals, fashion shows, art exhibitions, tourism experiences, resorts, beach houses, indigenous celebrations, and community events.”

“We want to bring Nigeria’s Ember to remember season together in one national digital calendar. We are therefore inviting event organisers across Nigeria to visit myctf.io, click on Ember to Remember, and upload their event.

“But this is more than a calendar. It is about economic opportunity, helping visitors who attend an event contribute to airlines, hotels, transport, restaurants, tourism, retail, and local businesses. By connecting these experiences, we can attract more visitors, support businesses, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s tourism economy,” she said. (The Nation)