The Federal Government has unveiled a digital platform to improve access to investment data in Nigeria’s tourism and creative industries, targeting a $100bn contribution to GDP and more than three million jobs by 2030.
The Federal Government has launched a digital platform aimed at attracting investment into Nigeria’s tourism and creative industries as it seeks to generate $100bn in economic contribution and create more than three million jobs by 2030.
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, announced the launch of the D30 Platform, also known as Destination 2030, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Musawa said the initiative was developed to address gaps in reliable and accessible data on the country’s creative and tourism sectors, which have limited efforts to assess their economic potential and identify investment opportunities.
According to her, the platform will provide investors, government agencies, businesses and entrepreneurs with information to evaluate opportunities, identify infrastructure needs and make informed investment decisions.
She said Nigeria’s music, film, fashion, visual arts, literature, cultural heritage and tourism attractions could generate revenue, support livelihoods and contribute significantly to national development.
However, she noted that the absence of comprehensive sectoral data had made it difficult to determine the scale of available opportunities and the investments required to develop them.
The minister explained that D30 consolidates industry data, research, mapping and economic intelligence to support evidence-based policymaking and private-sector investment.
She cited potential uses of the platform, including helping investors assess locations for film production facilities, assisting state governments in planning tourism destinations and enabling entrepreneurs to identify opportunities to expand their businesses.
Musawa said the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the ministry’s economic diversification objectives.
She added that achieving the 2030 targets would require coordinated action, strategic investment, stronger institutions, improved infrastructure and a business environment that supports enterprise growth.
The minister also emphasised the connection between tourism and the creative economy, noting that Nigerian films, music, festivals and cultural heritage could attract visitors and generate demand for hotels, hospitality businesses and other local industries.
She called on ministries, departments and agencies, state governments, industry associations, private-sector operators and research institutions to contribute to the platform.
Musawa said the government intended to establish a collaborative framework that would protect the integrity and confidentiality of contributed information while making verified, published intelligence accessible to relevant stakeholders.
In his address, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abdulkarim Ozi, described the platform as a milestone in efforts to harness the economic potential of Nigeria’s cultural and creative assets.
Ozi said the country’s music, film, fashion, visual arts and tourism industries could attract investment and create jobs if supported by reliable information and adequate infrastructure.
He added that D30 would provide a centralised source of information to guide government decisions, improve investors’ understanding of emerging opportunities and help businesses identify areas for expansion.
Ozi stressed that meeting the ministry’s employment and economic targets would require credible information, institutional partnerships, appropriate infrastructure and an enabling investment environment.
He said the platform’s success should be assessed by its contribution to investment, enterprise development and job creation rather than the amount of information it contains.
Also speaking at the launch, Olumide Olayomi, Executive Director and Vice President of Government and External Affairs at Cavista Holdings, said the company had provided private funding and technical expertise for the platform through its subsidiary, Cavista Technologies, in partnership with the ministry.
Olayomi said D30 brings together information on tourism infrastructure, attractions, cultural and creative industries, government interventions and creative professionals.
He explained that the platform was intended to help stakeholders identify opportunities, assess infrastructure gaps and make better-informed decisions about developing the sectors.
Olayomi also highlighted Cavista Holdings’ investment in the hospitality industry through Glocient Hospitality, which owns and operates Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort and Conference Centre in Ekiti State.
He said the company’s experience had underscored the importance of infrastructure, accessibility, investment, skills and effective planning in developing tourism destinations.
Olayomi commended the ministry, the National Bureau of Statistics and other participating government institutions for their contributions to the initiative.
The platform is expected to consolidate information about tourism sites, infrastructure, creative professionals, cultural industries and government interventions in one digital resource.
Its long-term impact will depend on the quality and regular updating of its data, participation by relevant institutions and the extent to which investors and businesses use the information to guide investment and expansion decisions.