At the Naija7Wonders Zoom Conference 3.0 held on May 14, 2025, veteran photographer and cultural documentarian Dayo Adedayo delivered more than a presentation on festivals and tourism. He delivered a passionate argument for why Nigeria may already possess one of the most powerful tourism assets in Africa — but has failed to fully recognize it.
Speaking during a session themed “Festivals & Tourism in Nigeria: A New Pathway,” Adedayo described Nigeria as a country overflowing with cultural experiences capable of driving economic growth, reshaping international perception, and reconnecting communities to their heritage.
“From the Argungu Fishing Festival of the North to the New Yam Festival of the East, from the rhythms of the Calabar Carnival to the sacred traditions of the Osun Osogbo Festival of the West, Nigeria is not just a country,” he said. “Nigeria is a living festival.”
For Adedayo, who has spent more than two decades documenting Nigeria’s landscapes, cultures, and traditions, the country’s greatest tourism challenge is not the absence of attractions but the inability to properly package and position them.
“There are over 250 ethnic groups in this country,” he noted during the conference. “But I can tell you there are over a thousand festivals.”
That observation framed one of the central conversations of the conference. Across Nigeria, festivals continue to thrive at the community level, yet many remain disconnected from structured tourism systems capable of attracting larger domestic and international audiences.
Participants at the conference repeatedly stressed that festivals must move beyond being annual cultural ceremonies and evolve into fully developed tourism products with supporting experiences, infrastructure, and storytelling.
Adedayo pointed to several Nigerian festivals that already demonstrate strong tourism potential, including the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi State, the Ojude Oba Festival in Ogun State, the Osun-Osogbo Festival in Osun State, and the Calabar Carnival in Cross River State.
Reflecting on his experience covering the Argungu festival, Adedayo described the dramatic moment when hundreds of fishermen rush into the river at the sound of a whistle as one of the most unforgettable spectacles in Nigeria’s tourism landscape.
“That three to five minutes of excitement is something every Nigerian should see before they leave this planet,” he said.
But beyond the excitement itself, he emphasized the economic activity surrounding such events, hotel bookings, transportation, food businesses, photography, local trade, and souvenir sales.
According to him, festivals create temporary economies that can significantly impact local communities when properly managed and promoted.
The discussion also explored how festivals shape national identity and global perception. Adedayo argued that countries such as Brazil successfully built strong international cultural brands through experiences like football and carnival culture, while Nigeria still struggles to fully leverage its own cultural exports.
“In Nigeria today, we have artists known globally,” he said. “Nothing is stopping us from creating music festivals that become part of our tourism identity.”
His comments aligned with broader tourism conversations currently happening across Africa, where countries are increasingly investing in experiential tourism — travel built around immersive cultural and lifestyle experiences rather than traditional sightseeing alone.
Several speakers at the conference argued that Nigerian festivals already possess the authenticity international tourists increasingly seek, but often lack the consistency, organization, and packaging required to compete globally.
Adedayo referenced international examples such as Rwanda’s gorilla naming ceremony, describing it as proof that carefully packaged cultural experiences can help reposition an entire country internationally within a relatively short time.
The comparison highlighted a recurring concern raised during the session: Nigeria’s tourism problem is not creativity or cultural abundance, but structure and coordination.
Many participants observed that Nigerian festivals are often poorly synchronized, inconsistently promoted, and rarely integrated into long-term tourism planning. Some festivals change dates frequently, making it difficult for tourists and operators to plan travel ahead of time.
Others noted that many events still focus almost entirely on ceremonial activities without building complementary experiences around them, such as culinary tourism, nightlife, adventure tourism, exhibitions, workshops, or guided cultural tours.
At the conference, speakers argued that modern tourists increasingly want layered experiences rather than single-day events.
Adedayo also used the session to spotlight Nigeria’s under-promoted destinations, particularly outside Lagos and Abuja. He spoke passionately about Taraba State, describing it as one of the most visually breathtaking regions in the country.
Referencing the Mambilla Plateau and Gashaka-Gumti National Park, he argued that several Nigerian states possess tourism potential strong enough to compete globally if properly developed and marketed.
“People go to Canada and say Canada is beautiful,” he said. “I would say come to Taraba.”
For Adedayo, festivals can become gateways that redirect tourism traffic into communities that currently receive little economic benefit from the industry.
The conference also highlighted the growing role of digital storytelling and immersive technology in tourism promotion. Adedayo revealed that he has spent years developing an ambitious multimedia tourism experience center designed to digitally showcase Nigeria’s waterways, landscapes, festivals, and heritage through immersive installations.
According to him, visitors to the center will be able to experience virtual journeys across Nigeria, from Lagos waterways to the Niger Delta, through large-scale digital simulations.
The project, he explained, is part of a larger mission to preserve Nigeria’s cultural memory while introducing younger generations and international audiences to the country’s tourism potential.
“In my archives are over four million images,” he said. “I don’t want those images to disappear.”
Beyond tourism promotion, the initiative also aims to create space for Nigerian creatives, exhibitions, cultural merchandise, and historical preservation.
Another major concern raised during the conference was the way Nigerians often speak about their own country internationally. Adedayo warned that constantly amplifying negative narratives about Nigeria damages the tourism industry and discourages global curiosity.
“We should stop talking down on this country,” he said. “It’s a beautiful country.”
At the same time, speakers acknowledged that real challenges remain — including infrastructure gaps, insecurity concerns, inconsistent policy implementation, and weak collaboration between tourism stakeholders.
Still, the overall tone of the conference remained optimistic.
Participants argued that Nigeria’s cultural diversity gives it an advantage that many countries spend decades trying to build artificially. What remains missing, they suggested, is the deliberate investment needed to transform festivals into year-round tourism engines capable of supporting local economies and reshaping the country’s global image.
By the end of the session, one message had become increasingly clear: Nigeria’s tourism future may not depend on discovering entirely new attractions. It may depend on finally recognizing the value of what already exists in its communities, traditions, festivals, food, music, and people.
For Adedayo, that recognition cannot wait much longer.
“Nigeria is a beautiful country,” he said once again toward the close of the session. “And the more we talk about ourselves, the more people get to know us.”
By Sam Opoku
