The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has called for a stronger government-private sector collaboration to transform Nigeria’s September-to-December (Ember months) festive period into a structured tourism season to create jobs, support businesses and attract international visitors.

Musawa spoke as stakeholders unveiled plans for Ember 2 Remember, aimed at bringing together Nigeria’s festivals, concerts, cultural celebrations, food, fashion, nightlife and destination experiences under a coordinated national tourism campaign.

The minister said Nigeria already possessed the cultural wealth and creative energy required to compete as a major tourism destination, but needed to package, promote and connect its experiences more effectively.

According to her, the country’s festive season should be viewed not merely as a period of entertainment but as an opportunity to generate wider economic activities across several sectors.

“When hotels fill up, restaurants, transport operators, tour guides, retailers and event businesses benefit; when festivals attract visitors, communities benefit,” Musawa said.

She added that properly organising and marketing the experiences could enable states to generate greater economic activities while strengthening Nigeria’s position in the global tourism market.

The Ember 2 Remember initiative, developed in partnership with MyCityApp Nigeria, will seek to connect events and tourism experiences across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory through a National Digital Events and Experiences Calendar.

The calendar will be unveiled at the Ember 2 Remember national stakeholders’ conference, scheduled for September 14 in Lagos. The digital platform is expected to provide a single gateway through which Nigerians, tourists and members of the diaspora can discover festivals, concerts, hotels, restaurants, cultural attractions and other experiences.

According to the organisers, the ambition goes beyond creating another events directory to “building a national tourism infrastructure.”

They noted that the economic benefits of the initiative could extend across aviation, hospitality, transportation, banking, telecommunications, retail and the creative industries.

The organisers also stressed that Ember 2 Remember would complement the existing government cultural institutions, including the National Council for Arts and Culture, National Theatre, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation, and the National Gallery of Art and Museums.

For Nigerians in the diaspora, the organisers are seeking to broaden the traditional December homecoming by encouraging visitors to return earlier and explore destinations across the country.