Nigeria has declared its intention to lead Africa into a new era of cultural and economic power, using tourism, technology, and the creative industries as the engine for transformation.
This bold vision was unveiled on Tuesday by the Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, during her keynote address at the opening of the 68th Meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (CAF), held at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Hosted for the first time in Nigeria, the summit brought together African ministers, global tourism leaders, investors, and cultural innovators to reimagine the future of African tourism in a rapidly digitising world.
“Africa stands at a defining crossroads,” Musawa declared. “The 21st century demands more than growth from the ground — it demands renewal from the soul.”
With the theme “Boosting Social Impact and Education on Tourism through AI, Innovation and Creative Industries”, the conference served as a continental rallying cry to leverage Africa’s rich cultural heritage, youthful talent, and growing tech capacity.
Musawa announced a series of groundbreaking initiatives already underway in Nigeria, including the completion of the MEFA Arena in Abuja, and the launch of a world-class Lagos Arena in partnership with global live entertainment giants Live Nation and Oak View Group.
She also revealed plans for a sustainable coastal tourism corridor from Tarkwa Bay to Badagry, the expansion of a national tourism calendar, and the deployment of new financing tools like the Creative Economy Development Fund, the Creative Leap Accelerator, and a Creative & Tourism Infrastructure Corporation (CTIco).
“We are not just building venues,” Musawa said. “We are building a movement — where culture meets commerce, and storytelling becomes an economic strategy.”
The minister highlighted the success of Nigeria’s soft power campaign “Nigeria Everywhere”, which has already boosted Nigeria’s global cultural index by 14 points. She said the country is using film, fashion, music, art, and esports to position itself as Africa’s cultural gateway to the world.
“We are investing in imagination the way the world once invested in oil,” Musawa added.
More than a national agenda, Musawa’s message was a continental call to action. She urged African countries to harmonise visa regimes, co-invest in regional destination corridors, and develop cross-border creative collaborations.
“Let us invest in the African creative mind the way the world once invested in its fossil fuels,” she said. “Because what we have is enduring: our culture, our people, our power to inspire.”
The summit, attended by UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and delegates from over 30 African nations, is expected to end with concrete commitments on boosting intra-African tourism and regional integration through cultural exchange.
As Nigeria positions itself as a continental leader in soft power, the 68th CAF Meeting may well be remembered as the turning point where Africa began to reimagine not just how the world sees it — but how it sees itself.