Nigeria’s festivals have always been expressions of identity, tradition, and community. Yet, for many years, they have often been viewed primarily as cultural celebrations rather than strategic assets capable of driving tourism, entrepreneurship and destination development.
That perspective is beginning to change.
Speaking during the Naija7Wonders Zoom Conference 3.0 on “Festivals & Tourism in Nigeria: A New Pathway,” tourism entrepreneur and festival advocate Mrs. Shuhda Mohammed argued that festivals should be understood as powerful economic platforms capable of attracting visitors, supporting local businesses and reshaping how Nigeria is perceived both at home and abroad.
Drawing from her experience leading the Arewa Festival initiative, Mohammed presented festivals not simply as annual events, but as catalysts for destination branding, cultural preservation and inclusive economic growth.
A Country Rich in Culture, Yet Still Underexplored
“I represent the diversity of Nigeria,” Mohammed said while introducing herself to conference participants.
Born in Maiduguri, Borno State, she explained that she frequently encounters surprise when people discover she belongs to the Shuwa Arab ethnic group—one of Nigeria’s more than 370 ethnic communities.
“I am a proud Nigerian,” she said. “I have visited 97 countries, and every single time I travel, I always want to come back home. We have one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but our tourism industry is not fully utilised. There is still so much we can do.”
Her remarks reflected one of the central themes of the conference: Nigeria possesses remarkable cultural diversity, landscapes, cuisines, music and traditions, yet many of these assets remain underrepresented in national tourism strategies.
Across the country, festivals such as the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi State, the Osun-Osogbo Festival in Osun State, the Calabar Carnival in Cross River State and the Ojude Oba Festival in Ogun State already demonstrate how cultural events can attract domestic and international visitors while preserving heritage.
Rather than viewing these festivals as isolated celebrations, Mohammed encouraged stakeholders to see them as part of a broader tourism economy.
Festivals as Engines of Local Economies
For Mohammed, the true value of festivals extends well beyond entertainment.
“Festivals are not only celebrations,” she noted. “They are catalysts for destination branding, economic growth and cultural preservation.”
That philosophy became the foundation of the Arewa Festival, an initiative that evolved from a broader economic development project known as Arewa Tech. Originally conceived as a platform to strengthen agriculture, entrepreneurship, education, the creative industries and hospitality, the project gradually incorporated culture as a way of showcasing Northern Nigeria to wider audiences.
The result was a hybrid model combining a cultural festival, trade fair, entrepreneurship forum and educational platform.
According to Mohammed, this approach allowed entrepreneurs, artisans, photographers, tour operators, airlines, hotels, logistics providers and creative businesses to benefit from increased visibility while encouraging collaboration across sectors.
Rather than treating tourism as a standalone industry, she argued that festivals reveal how deeply interconnected it is with transportation, hospitality, fashion, food, digital media and small business development.
Changing Perceptions Through Experience
One of the most compelling aspects of Mohammed’s presentation was her emphasis on destination perception.
She recalled conversations with visitors who attended the inaugural Arewa Festival and discovered that many of their assumptions about Northern Nigeria did not match reality.
One participant who travelled from Port Harcourt admitted he had been surprised by the relaxed social atmosphere he encountered in Kano.
For Mohammed, such experiences demonstrate why tourism matters.
People who travel, she suggested, often replace stereotypes with lived experiences. Festivals provide opportunities for visitors to interact with communities, appreciate local cultures and develop more nuanced understandings of destinations.
This aligns with a broader principle increasingly recognised in global tourism: authentic visitor experiences can be powerful tools for destination branding, particularly when shared through digital platforms and personal networks.
Private Sector Leadership and Community Ownership
Another distinctive feature of the Arewa Festival is its financing model.
While government endorsement was sought, Mohammed explained that the festival deliberately relied on private sector funding rather than public financing.
The objective, she said, was to improve long-term sustainability by reducing dependence on changing political administrations.
“Government was involved mainly through endorsement,” she explained. “Everything else was driven by the private sector.”
That approach also encouraged stronger participation from businesses themselves, reinforcing the idea that festivals should create commercial opportunities alongside cultural experiences.
Industry observers have increasingly pointed to public-private collaboration as an important ingredient for sustainable tourism development. While government investment remains essential for infrastructure, security and policy, private sector innovation often drives destination marketing, product development and visitor experiences.
Digital Storytelling in a Changing Tourism Landscape
Mohammed also challenged tourism professionals to rethink how Nigeria is presented online.
She announced plans to develop a digital library featuring authentic images of Nigeria’s people, destinations, businesses and cultural life.
The initiative seeks to ensure that online searches increasingly reflect the country’s creativity, hospitality and cultural richness rather than focusing disproportionately on crises or negative headlines.
“We want authentic Nigerian pictures that the world will always see,” she said.
The proposal reflects an emerging reality within global tourism. Increasingly, travellers form impressions of destinations through digital content long before making travel decisions. Search engines, artificial intelligence platforms and social media have become influential gateways to tourism.
For destinations hoping to compete internationally, digital storytelling is becoming almost as important as physical infrastructure.
Looking Ahead: Culture, Commerce and Capital
Building on lessons from its inaugural edition, the Arewa Festival will adopt a new format this year by bringing participants together in Abuja rather than hosting simultaneous events across Northern Nigeria.
The festival’s theme, “Culture, Commerce and Capital,” captures its expanded ambition.
Mohammed said organisers hope to create state pavilions where entrepreneurs, cultural practitioners and tourism businesses can showcase products, exchange ideas and connect directly with investors and visitors.
The festival also plans to support participating small businesses through a proposed investment fund while continuing its focus on entrepreneurship training, networking and cultural promotion.
These plans remain forward-looking, but they reflect a growing recognition that tourism development increasingly depends on combining cultural experiences with business opportunities, innovation and investment.
More Than Festivals
Throughout her presentation, one message remained consistent: festivals should not be viewed as isolated events on the calendar.
They are platforms for preserving traditions, creating jobs, strengthening local economies, promoting entrepreneurship and telling Nigeria’s story through authentic voices.
For a country whose cultural diversity is among its greatest assets, festival tourism offers an opportunity not only to welcome visitors but also to deepen national pride and strengthen regional economies.
As domestic tourism continues to grow and global interest in cultural experiences expands, initiatives like the Arewa Festival illustrate how locally driven ideas can contribute to broader conversations about sustainable tourism in Nigeria.
For Mohammed, the future lies in partnerships, community participation, infrastructure development and digital storytelling.
If these elements continue to come together, Nigeria’s festivals may increasingly be recognised not simply as celebrations of culture, but as gateways to economic opportunity and meaningful cultural exchange.
By Sam Opoku
