Nanna Yakubu Dashe, CEO of Caskada Integrated Ltd, has identified Plateau State’s cultural village initiative as a model Nigeria can adopt to sustain tourism activities beyond festival periods and reduce seasonality in the sector.
Speaking during the Naija7Wonders Zoom Conference on the theme: “Festivals & Tourism in Nigeria: A New Pathway,” Dashe said Nigeria must move away from short-term festival tourism and create year-round cultural experiences capable of attracting both domestic and international tourists.
According to her, one of the major challenges facing Nigeria’s festival tourism industry is that most destinations only become active during annual celebrations before going dormant for the rest of the year. She noted that Plateau State has successfully begun addressing this challenge through cultural villages at the Jos Museum, where different ethnic groups regularly showcase their traditions, cuisines, dances, and crafts even outside festival seasons.
“At any time tourists come into Plateau State, they can experience culture. We are no longer waiting only for festivals,” she said. Dashe revealed that tourists from countries such as Spain and Germany recently visited Plateau State and were able to enjoy cultural experiences despite the absence of any major festival at the time. She explained that the initiative allows tourists to participate in market days, local cuisine experiences, cultural performances, and guided tours led by youths from host communities.
According to her, the model demonstrates how tourism can thrive continuously when communities are empowered to create authentic cultural experiences. The tourism expert also emphasized the importance of storytelling and tour guiding in strengthening Nigeria’s cultural tourism offerings. She argued that tour guides should go beyond selling tickets by creating immersive experiences for visitors through narratives around local traditions, war dances, masks, crafts, and historical events. “Tourism is not just about selling tickets. It is about telling stories and creating experiences people will remember,” she stated.
Dashe further advocated for stronger youth involvement in festival tourism through training in guiding, storytelling, craft-making, drumming, fishing techniques, and other indigenous skills. She stressed that festivals must create economic opportunities for local communities rather than benefiting outsiders alone. The Caskada Integrated Ltd CEO also called for greater professionalism in festival management, warning against the practice of relying on untrained relatives or associates to organize major tourism events.
“We need professionals to manage festivals so communities can truly earn from tourism,” she added. Dashe maintained that Nigeria possesses enormous cultural resources capable of positioning the country as one of the world’s leading cultural tourism destinations if properly developed and marketed.
