Abuja: The Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, has emphasized that sports tourism has emerged as a crucial pillar of the modern economy and tourism sector, effectively integrating leisure, wealth creation, and cultural exchange. Ali made these remarks during the National Sports Tourism Conference and Exhibition (NASTOCE) organized by the Ringo Sports Club in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the event, themed ‘Leveraging the Intersections between Multi-Sectoral MDAs to Promote Sports Tourism in Nigeria,’ provided a timely and strategic platform as Nigeria seeks to diversify its economy beyond oil sectors. Ali highlighted that sports tourism has progressed beyond medals and competitions to become a significant driver of culture, commerce, and destination branding on a global scale.
Ali expressed his delight to be part of the forum, noting the importance of reflecting on the advent of sports tourism and the vast opportunities it presents for Nige
ria. He emphasized that stakeholders must collaborate to advance sports tourism, which has evolved beyond mere competition to become a catalyst for economic growth.
Addressing the sub-theme, ‘Amplifying the Pitch: NAN’s Media Strategies for Storytelling and Digital Promotion of Sports Tourism in Nigeria,’ Ali affirmed the agency’s commitment to showcasing Nigeria’s sports tourism potential through effective storytelling and digital media strategies. He identified active sports tourism, spectator sports tourism, and nostalgia sports tourism as the three major categories within the sector.
He cited global statistics indicating that the travel and tourism sector contributed nearly 11 trillion dollars to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024, representing about 10 percent of the world economy and supporting approximately 357 million jobs worldwide. Ali also noted that global sports tourism was valued at approximately 565 billion dollars in 2023 and is projected to exceed 1.3 trillion dollars by 2032.
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espite its immense potential, Ali pointed out that sports tourism in Nigeria remains underutilized due to limited visibility and inadequate publicity. He urged stakeholders across sports, tourism, and media sectors to collaborate in unlocking the country’s sports tourism potential for economic growth and national development.
Guest speakers at the conference also addressed various challenges and opportunities within the sector. Mr. Benjamin Isaiah, National President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), highlighted infrastructure issues as a significant hindrance to sports tourism in Nigeria. He urged government support to improve infrastructure and enable the tourism sector to thrive.
Mr. Rotimi Pedro, Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), reiterated NTA’s commitment to serving as a unifying broadcast station in Nigeria, highlighting the channel’s focus on 24-hour sports coverage. Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), disc
ussed the agency’s efforts to build national pride and awareness through sports tourism, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and celebrating Nigerian sports heroes.