United Nigeria Airlines has called for the creation of a national festival calendar and stronger collaboration among government and private sector stakeholders to transform Nigeria’s cultural festivals into world-class tourism products capable of boosting the country’s economy and increasing year-round travel.
The call was made by the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, Adedayo Olawuyi, during the Naija7Wonders Zoom Conference 3.0, themed “Festivals and Tourism in Nigeria: A New Pathway,” where he argued that Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage remains one of its most underutilised economic assets.
Speaking at the conference, Olawuyi noted that tourism currently contributes between 2 and 4.5 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), significantly below countries such as Kenya, where tourism contributes about 9.3 per cent, and Egypt, where the sector accounts for approximately 8.5 per cent of GDP.
According to him, the disparity demonstrates the enormous untapped opportunities available within Nigeria’s tourism industry if cultural festivals are deliberately packaged as commercial tourism experiences rather than treated as isolated annual events.
“Nigeria is blessed with over 250 ethnic groups, with diverse traditions, languages, music, food, fashion and heritage sites. These are assets that can drive aviation, hospitality, retail, transport, security services, the creative economy and local enterprises if properly packaged,” he said.
Olawuyi stressed that festivals such as Ojude Oba, Osun Osogbo Festival, Calabar Carnival, Felabration, Argungu Fishing Festival, Eyo Festival, New Yam Festival, and the growing Detty December experience should evolve into internationally recognised tourism brands capable of attracting visitors throughout the year.
He said Nigeria must shift from organising standalone cultural events to creating integrated travel experiences supported by coordinated publicity, affordable travel packages and clearly defined annual calendars that allow both domestic and international tourists to plan their visits well in advance.
“For a festival to become a tourism product, people must be able to reach it conveniently, affordably and confidently,” Olawuyi stated.
He identified inadequate accommodation, security concerns, insufficient training, poor destination marketing and limited international orientation as some of the major obstacles preventing Nigerian festivals from attracting larger numbers of foreign visitors.
According to him, tourism stakeholders must develop experiences that appeal not only to Nigerians but also to international travellers who may be unfamiliar with the country’s languages and cultural traditions.
He also advocated decentralising tourism by encouraging visitors to explore destinations beyond the traditional Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt corridor, thereby allowing more communities to benefit from tourism revenue while changing global perceptions about Nigeria.
Highlighting the airline’s role in supporting tourism, Olawuyi said United Nigeria Airlines currently operates flights to major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Asaba, Benin, Owerri, Kano, Sokoto, Warri and Anambra, with Jos and Kaduna expected to join the network soon.
He explained that the airline is prepared to collaborate with tour operators, hotels, destination managers and event organisers by offering special industry fares, seasonal travel packages and bundled tourism products that combine flights, accommodation and festival experiences.
The Chief Commercial Officer also urged stakeholders to target Nigerians in the diaspora through specially curated tourism campaigns during peak travel periods such as summer and December, encouraging them to reconnect with their heritage by exploring destinations across the country rather than limiting their visits to major cities.
He further proposed the development of corporate tourism packages that would enable organisations to combine conferences and retreats with visits to cultural attractions and festivals in different parts of Nigeria.
Olawuyi emphasised the importance of destination storytelling, calling on tourism boards to embrace digital marketing and social media to showcase Nigeria’s cultural attractions to younger global audiences.
He noted that many international tourists willingly travel to events such as the Notting Hill Carnival in London and the Rio Carnival in Brazil because of sustained destination marketing, adding that Nigeria possesses equally compelling cultural experiences that have yet to be effectively promoted.
To maximise the sector’s potential, he recommended the establishment of a comprehensive national festival calendar, stronger public-private partnerships involving airlines, airports, hotels, tour operators, security agencies and payment platforms, as well as improvements in visitor safety, transport, signage, transparent pricing and digital information systems.
He also urged organisers to begin promoting festivals at least three to six months before they take place, allowing enough time for international marketing and travel planning.
Drawing from his experience of destination promotion campaigns in Uganda, Olawuyi said Nigeria should actively market its tourism products at major international travel exhibitions and reposition its festivals as unique experiences capable of attracting global audiences.
“We should not build Nigeria’s tourism story around monuments alone. We should build it around experiences,” he said.
Participants at the conference agreed that stronger collaboration across the tourism value chain will be critical to transforming Nigeria’s festivals into globally competitive tourism products capable of creating jobs, stimulating economic growth and positioning the country as one of Africa’s leading cultural tourism destinations.
