Abuja: Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy (FMACCE), has called on stakeholders to collaborate to unlock the enormous potentials of sports tourism in Nigeria. Musawa made the call at the opening of the maiden edition of the National Sports Tourism Conference and Exhibition (NASTOCE), organized by Ringo Sport Club in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the conference, themed ‘Leveraging on the Inter-Section between Multi-Sectoral MDAs to Promote Sports Tourism in Nigeria,’ aimed at advancing sports tourism. The minister, represented by Mr. Sunday Bisong, Deputy Director of the Domestic Tourism Promotion Department of the ministry, commended the organizers for conceptualizing the timely and strategic platform. The conference is aimed at advancing sports tourism as a viable driver of economic growth, national unity, youth empowerment, and sustainable development in Nigeria.
Musawa emphasized that the theme of the conference was to promote sports tourism in Nigeria, reflecting the recognition that the sector cannot thrive in isolation. It requires coordinated institutional support, integrated policy frameworks, infrastructure development, strategic marketing, private sector participation, and inter-agency collaboration. Globally, sports tourism has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry contributing significantly to GDP growth, employment generation, destination branding, infrastructure development, and international visibility.
The minister highlighted that Nigeria, blessed with a youthful population, rich cultural diversity, sporting talents, favorable climate, and a vibrant creative industry, possesses all the ingredients required to become a leading sports tourism destination in Africa. She stated Nigeria’s capacity to host regional and international sporting events, capable of attracting tourists, investors, media attention, and global partnerships. Sports now encompasses travel and sporting events, training camps, recreational sports, adventure tourism, wellness tourism, sports heritage, cultural festivals linked to sporting activities, and sports business exhibitions, presenting enormous opportunities for job creation and enterprise development.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration remains committed to diversifying the Nigerian economy through non-oil sectors, including tourism, culture, sports, and the creative economy. As part of this vision, FMACTCE is actively working to reposition Nigeria’s tourism industry as a major contributor to national development. Musawa emphasized that progress in sports tourism required strong synergy among key MDAs and stakeholders, noting that no institution can independently build a traveling sports tourism ecosystem.
The minister urged stakeholders to prioritize the development and maintenance of world-class sporting infrastructure capable of hosting international competitions. Beyond infrastructure, capacity building for sports tourism professionals, tour operators, event managers, hospitality providers, and sports marketers was crucial. Leveraging technology, digital marketing, and creative storytelling is essential to positioning Nigeria positively on the global stage. Sports icons, entertainers, cultural ambassadors, and creative talents can become powerful drivers of destination promotion, with every major sporting event creating opportunities for airlines, hotels, restaurants, transport operators, artisans, and others.
Musawa encouraged stakeholders to focus on practical solutions and sustainable partnerships during deliberation, urging a shift from conversations to implementation-driven strategies that will strengthen policy coordination, improve infrastructure, attract investment, and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in global sports tourism markets. She reaffirmed her ministry’s commitment to working collaboratively with all relevant stakeholders to advance sports tourism development in Nigeria.
Mallam Ahmed Sule, President of Ringo Sport Club and convener of the event, stated that sports and tourism were cohabitating to enhance and empower the growth of the economy. He noted that countries have enhanced the potential that exists between sports and tourism, positively impacting their economy. Sule emphasized that Nigeria should not be left behind when there is synergy to explore and enhance ways to boost the economy. The idea of the National Sports Tourism Conference and Exhibition (NASTOCE) came about to impact the socio-economic development of the country.