Nigeria has launched a national data platform to boost investment in its tourism and creative industries, create more than three million jobs and contribute $100 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.
The platform, known as Destination 2030 (D30), was unveiled in Abuja this Tuesday by the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa.
Musawa said the initiative aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and was designed to strengthen investment intelligence, improve sectoral planning and accelerate economic growth.
She described the platform as a strategic tool for identifying and measuring the economic value of Nigeria’s cultural heritage, creative talent and tourism assets.
The minister noted that despite Nigeria’s international recognition in music, film, fashion, visual arts and cultural heritage, inadequate access to reliable data had limited the country’s ability to translate these strengths into measurable economic benefits.
She said the platform would bring together sectoral data, research, mapping and economic intelligence to help government agencies plan effectively, enable investors to identify viable opportunities and support businesses and entrepreneurs in making informed decisions.
According to her, D30 would also help identify infrastructure gaps and strengthen the relationship between the tourism industry and the creative economy.
Musawa urged ministries, departments and agencies, state governments, industry associations, research institutions and private-sector organisations to support the initiative by contributing to and using the platform.
She said the success of the project would ultimately be measured by the investments attracted, businesses strengthened and jobs created.
Earlier, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abdulkarim Ozi Ibrahim, described the launch as a significant milestone in efforts to transform Nigeria’s cultural and tourism assets into sustainable economic opportunities.
He said collaboration between government institutions and private-sector stakeholders would be essential to ensuring credible data, evidence-based policymaking and effective investment planning.
Ibrahim added that the platform would support real-time monitoring of the tourism and creative sectors, attract sustainable investment and create employment opportunities.
Also speaking, the Executive Director and Vice President of Government and External Affairs at Cavista Holdings, Olumide Olayomi, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s tourism and creative economy through technology and private-sector investment.
He said the platform would improve access to information on tourism infrastructure, attractions, creative industries and investment opportunities, helping stakeholders make better decisions.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the President on Partnerships and Innovation, Imran Garba Duba, expressed optimism that the initiative would open up new economic opportunities for the country.
The event featured a demonstration of the platform by the D30 project team and Cavista’s technical team.
