Nigeria Compiling List of Festivals Nationwide To Boost Tourism – Minister

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said

his Ministry will soon produce a compendium of the festivals across

the country as part of efforts to boost tourism and showcase the

country’s diverse cultures.

The Minister disclosed this in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday while

speaking at the ongoing 3rd UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism

and Culture, jointly organized by the two UN agencies.

He said with more than 365 festivals across Nigeria, the country can

organize one festival per day all year round, thus boosting domestic

and international tourism.

Alhaji Mohammed said Nigeria’s ethnic groups are rooted in their

cultures, which they showcase through different festivals like Durbar,

New Yam Festival, Eyo and Masquerades, just to mention a few.

He said governments at all levels in Nigeria are striving hard to

encourage the festivals in their domains, while the federal government

is providing the enabling environment to showcase the various

festivals.

The Minister said the Abuja Carnival is particularly designed to

enable the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital

Territory to showcase the country’s cultural diversity which he

described as a source of unity among the country’s more than 250

ethnic groups.

He said festivals are not just for entertainment but major

contributors to job creation and economic development.

The conference is aimed at exploring the interplay of tourism and

culture with a view to enhancing sustainable tourism globally.

More than 30 Ministers of Culture and Tourism from around the world

are attending the three-day conference.