Nigeria has taken a major step toward elevating its tourism footprint on the global stage as the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs,Amb Yusuf Maitama Tuggar on Thursday received the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Dr. Olayiwola Nurudeen Awakan, and his delegation in Abuja for a high-level familiarisation and strategic engagement.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between the Ministry and NTDA to enhance Nigeria’s international tourism visibility, promote cultural diplomacy, and support the development and repackaging of national tourism assets.
The Minister highlighted the vast opportunities offered through Nigeria’s 109 foreign missions, noting that coordinated cultural and tourism promotion abroad would significantly improve the country’s global image. He emphasised the need to leverage major international tourism platforms—such as ITB Berlin and other global expos—to showcase Nigeria’s heritage sites, slave-route locations, festivals, and creative industries.
He stressed that improved storytelling of Nigeria’s diverse cultural and historical richness remains central to strengthening the country’s influence and soft-power diplomacy.
In his presentation, Dr. Awakan outlined several NTDA initiatives designed to position Nigeria as a competitive global tourism destination. These include the development of an International Tourism City, enhanced digital storytelling tools, diaspora tourism promotion, strengthened visa facilitation for tourism-related events, and unified participation at global tourism markets.
The NTDA DG expressed the Authority’s readiness to work closely with the Ministry to harmonise tourism promotion strategies, attract foreign investment, and support the Federal Government’s economic diversification drive through tourism.
Both parties agreed on the need for structured collaboration, improved alignment of tourism promotion within Nigeria’s foreign missions without expanding attaché structures and a unified, modern approach to projecting Nigeria’s tourism potential globally.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen inter-agency coordination and amplify Nigeria’s presence in the international tourism ecosystem.
