The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Limited, Mr Abubakar Suleiman, has called for stronger and more intentional collaboration between Nigeria’s public and private sectors to unlock the vast economic potential of the country’s tourism, arts, and creative industries.

Mr Suleiman made the call at a high-level stakeholders’ engagement held at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, organised in partnership with the Presidency. The forum brought together policymakers, regulators, financiers, creatives, and industry leaders to explore sustainable strategies for accelerating growth across the tourism and creative economy value chain.

Hospitality and destination partners for the engagement included Glocient Hospitality and Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, alongside Sheraton Hotels. The partners were recognised as key sponsors whose support was instrumental to the success of the engagement.

Speaking at the forum, Mr Suleiman stressed that unlocking the full value of the tourism and creative sectors would require coordinated efforts that align public policy, private capital, infrastructure development, and creative talent.

“The tourism and creative economy stand at a defining moment. Unlocking their full value will depend on deliberate collaboration that aligns policy, capital, infrastructure, and talent. No single stakeholder can do this alone,” he said.

The engagement highlighted a growing consensus among stakeholders on the need for structured cooperation across the tourism and creative value chain to drive investment, innovation, and inclusive economic growth.

Earlier, the Head of Tourism and Creative Arts at Sterling Bank, Mrs Abiola Adelana, underscored the importance of sustained partnerships between policymakers, businesses, and creatives in strengthening local tourism assets and scaling creative enterprises.

She noted that such collaboration is essential to building an inclusive, investable, and resilient tourism and creative ecosystem, adding that continuous engagement between public-sector institutions, private-sector players such as Sterling Bank, creative entrepreneurs, and tourism professionals remains critical to long-term sector growth.

In her remarks, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Mrs Hannatu Musa Musawa, outlined the Federal Government’s vision for the sector, identifying collaboration, investment, and sustainability as key drivers of growth. She stressed that sustainable progress would depend on innovative financing models and strong public-private partnerships.

The minister commended Sterling Bank for its leadership in facilitating investments in ecotourism and creative sector initiatives, noting that partnerships of this nature are vital to strengthening value chains, expanding access to finance, and unlocking new opportunities for industry players.

Also speaking, the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, led by Mr Ayomide Adeagbo, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s strategic commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s tourism and creative sectors as critical pillars of national development.

Mr Adeagbo described the engagement as a key platform for aligning policy direction, private capital, and creative enterprise in line with the development agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Echoing this position, the Special Adviser to the President on Tourism, Arts, and the Creative Economy, Moriam Ajaga, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to the sector through policy reforms, structured stakeholder engagement, and improved access to finance. She described the creative economy as a major driver of job creation, economic diversification, and national soft power, consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Traditional institutions also contributed to the discourse. In a goodwill message, Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, the Oniru of Iruland, called for closer collaboration among traditional rulers, government, and the private sector to elevate Nigeria’s tourism destinations and cultural assets.