The Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has charged tourism sector operators to seek a competitive edge by adopting digital transformation, sustainability and quality service delivery, noting that global tourism is driven by competition.
   
This is as the President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Dr Aliyu Badaki, decried the poor level of direction, collaboration and the disjointed tourism operations.
   
Calling for the restructuring of the sector, Badaki said the path to a thriving and sustainable tourism is through well-intended policy direction and unification among all the players.
   
Musawa and Badaki spoke at the opening ceremony of the ninth Nigeria Tourism Investors Forum and Exhibition (NTIFE) 2026 and 29th Annual General Meeting of FTAN in Abuja, with the theme, “Tourism Transformation Through Collaboration, Policy Alignment and Investment.”
   
Speaking on “Building a National Tourism Architecture for Nigeria,” Musawa noted that competition in the global market must be in focus, insisting that to remain competitive, the operators must develop tourism corridors, modernise visitor experiences, improve destination management, and, above all, “tell Nigeria’s story confidently and authentically.’’
   
Musawa further commended FTAN for the consistency of NTIFE, saying the “platform has consistently brought together policymakers, investors, tourism operators, development partners, financial institutions, state governments and industry stakeholders to shape the future of tourism in Nigeria.
   
“Since its inception, NTIFE has evolved into one of Nigeria’s foremost private-sector platforms for tourism investment, policy engagement and business development,” she added. 
   
Noting that transformation requires deliberate collaboration, sound policies, investment and leadership, she said the federal government “recognises tourism and the creative economy as strategic sectors capable of creating millions of jobs, attracting investments, earning foreign exchange and strengthening Nigeria’s global image.”
   
Stating the ministry’s commitment to repositioning tourism as a globally competitive economic sector through deliberate and strategic initiatives, Musawa urged every participant at the forum to move toward practical commitments, bankable investments and enduring partnerships that will redefine Nigeria’s tourism landscape for generations to come.”