As conversations around Nigeria’s tourism future continue to evolve, one message from the Naija7Wonders Zoom Conference 3.0 stood out with remarkable clarity: Nigeria does not suffer from a lack of attractions. Rather, it struggles with how to package, promote, and position them.
Speaking during the June 18, 2026 edition of the conference themed “Festivals and Tourism: A New Pathway,” Tinuke Nwakohu of Aviator Travels argued that the country’s vast collection of cultural festivals may hold the key to unlocking one of Nigeria’s most promising economic frontiers.
“Festivals are not just culture,” Nwakohu said. “They are economic engines capable of generating billions if well managed and properly harnessed.”
It was not a statement built on wishful thinking. Across Nigeria, evidence already exists.
From the horse-riding spectacle of the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi State to the elegant parade of aristocratic families at the Ojude Oba Festival in Ogun State, from the masquerade processions of the Eyo Festival in Lagos to the dazzling choreography of Carnival Calabar, Nigeria possesses a festival calendar rich enough to rival some of the world’s most celebrated cultural destinations.
Yet, according to Nwakohu, many of these festivals remain confined to their local settings.
“They are all doing their little thing in their little corner,” she observed. “They’re successful and generating income, but not generating as much visibility and impact as they could.”
That visibility gap, the conference heard, represents both Nigeria’s greatest challenge and its biggest opportunity.
Carnival Calabar offered perhaps the clearest example of what is possible. Widely regarded as Africa’s largest street carnival, the festival has evolved into a major tourism attraction through deliberate planning, government support and sustained promotion. Nwakohu noted that reports have credited the carnival with generating significant economic activity over the years, demonstrating what can happen when cultural celebrations are treated as strategic tourism assets rather than isolated entertainment events.
The lesson, participants suggested, is not to replicate Carnival Calabar mechanically but to understand the ecosystem that sustains it.
Government backing matters.
Private sector partnerships matter.
Marketing matters.
Infrastructure matters.
Most importantly, intentionality matters.
Nwakohu proposed that Nigeria’s numerous festivals should no longer operate independently without a coordinated national strategy. Instead, stakeholders should develop a comprehensive festival calendar that allows domestic and international audiences to anticipate, plan, and participate.
READ: Africa: 365 Days of Culture: Wale Olapade Advocates Year-Round Festival Tourism Across Nigeria
“When you’re eating your Salah meat, you should already know that Ojude Oba is next,” she remarked, illustrating how festivals can become fixed markers in the national and international travel consciousness.
Such a calendar would also create opportunities for collaboration among airlines, hotels, tour operators, financial institutions and local communities.
Tourism, after all, is rarely about a single event.
Travellers purchase experiences.
That reality led to one of the presentation’s most compelling proposals: packaging festivals alongside nearby attractions to create complete travel journeys.
An Ojude Oba itinerary, for example, could extend beyond Ijebu-Ode to include visits to Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, the Arinta Waterfalls in Ekiti State and the iconic Ikogosi Warm Springs. Visitors attending the Eyo Festival in Lagos could explore the Nike Art Gallery, heritage districts and the city’s vibrant culinary scene.
“We’re not trying to sell Nigeria,” Nwakohu explained. “We’re trying to sell an experience.”
This approach mirrors strategies employed successfully around the world.
Referencing Canada’s Niagara Falls, she pointed out that the waterfall itself is only part of the attraction. Around it, authorities have built entertainment districts, leisure activities, and visitor services that encourage longer stays and increased spending.
Nigeria’s challenge, therefore, is not the absence of natural or cultural assets. It is creating the structures that transform attractions into destinations.
Those structures include accommodation.
Do festival host communities have enough hotel rooms?
Are alternative lodging options available and properly regulated?
Can visitors access convenient transport systems?
Do international tourists encounter barriers when applying for visas?
Can they make secure cashless payments during festivals?
These seemingly ordinary details often determine whether a visitor leaves with fond memories or frustrating stories.
The conference heard that partnerships with banks could facilitate temporary ATM installations during major festivals, while hotels and airlines could design specialised packages targeting diaspora communities and international tourists.
Security also emerged as a critical issue.
Nwakohu acknowledged that perceptions matter deeply in global tourism. While every destination faces its own challenges, travellers seek reassurance that systems are in place to protect them.
Drawing comparisons with London’s Notting Hill Carnival, where emergency services and visible policing are integrated into the event experience, she argued that Nigerian festivals require similar levels of coordinated planning and preparedness.
“If your security is not in place,” she warned, “there is no way tourists will come.”
Yet despite these realities, the tone of her presentation remained overwhelmingly optimistic.
Examples of untapped potential surfaced repeatedly.
There was mention of Nigeria’s growing religious gatherings, including large gospel events capable of attracting thousands of participants. Properly packaged, faith-based festivals could emerge as significant tourism products.
There was the Adire Festival, where young entrepreneurs from different parts of the country showcased indigenous creativity through textiles, accessories and fashion. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has previously encouraged Nigerians to promote indigenous industries like Adire, recognising their capacity to preserve heritage while creating employment opportunities.
Even everyday cultural expressions, from food traditions to weddings and fashion, were highlighted as experiences capable of captivating international audiences.
Nwakohu recalled seeing Nigerian styles rebranded abroad and sold under different names, warning that Nigeria must take ownership of its cultural narratives before others define them.
“This is our heritage,” she noted. “People are willing to come and experience it.”
Underlying the discussion was a broader reflection on Nigeria’s historical achievements.
The country successfully hosted FESTAC ’77, one of the largest celebrations of Black and African arts and culture in history. That achievement demonstrated Nigeria’s capacity to organise events with international appeal.
“If we’ve done it before,” Nwakohu reflected, “there’s no reason why we cannot do it again.”
As the Naija7Wonders Zoom Conference drew to a close, what emerged was not merely a conversation about festivals.
It was a challenge to rethink tourism itself.
Nigeria’s festivals have always existed. Its dances, horse processions, masquerades, crafts, music, faith gatherings and culinary traditions have long animated communities across the country.
What may be new is the growing recognition that these cultural expressions can do more than entertain.
They can create jobs.
They can strengthen local economies.
They can reconnect diaspora communities.
They can reshape global perceptions.
Most importantly, they can offer Nigeria an authentic tourism story rooted not in imitation, but in identity.
“The sky is the limit for us,” Tinuke Nwakohu concluded.
For a nation blessed with extraordinary cultural abundance, perhaps the next chapter of Nigerian tourism begins not by inventing something new, but by finally recognising the value of what has always been there.
_By: Sam Opoku_
