Nigeria’s tourism sector recorded visible growth in 2025, marked by rising festivals, hotel developments and renewed investor interest. Yet industry stakeholders warn that the expansion is unfolding without strategic coordination, raising concerns about sustainability, investor confidence and long-term economic impact.
At the centre of the debate is the absence of a functional National Tourism Master Plan, a framework experts say is critical for policy direction, infrastructure planning, investment attraction and global positioning. Without it, tourism development remains fragmented, reactive and heavily influenced by changing administrations.
President of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria, Femi Fadina, says Nigeria is effectively running tourism without a defined vision or measurable targets. According to him, the lack of a master plan has resulted in projects driven by personalities rather than policy, weak continuity and siloed stakeholder operations.
This disjointed approach, stakeholders argue, has limited tourism’s contribution to national output. Despite Nigeria’s abundance of festivals, heritage sites, creative talent and expanding hospitality assets, the sector’s contribution to GDP remains marginal when compared with peers such as Kenya, Morocco and South Africa. Opportunities for job creation across host communities, transport, food supply, crafts and entertainment are also being missed, alongside potential foreign exchange earnings.
Fadina warns that investor confidence has been weakened by policy uncertainty. He notes that serious investors require clear long-term direction, legal frameworks and infrastructure plans before committing capital. He also points to Nigeria’s failure to project a unified destination brand, leaving the country largely invisible in global tourism markets despite its cultural and natural assets.
Beyond branding, stakeholders highlight gaps in community participation, heritage preservation, tourism education and sustainability. Fadina argues that tourism must be treated as economic infrastructure rather than a ceremonial sector if it is to become a meaningful contributor to GDP.
He calls for a stakeholder-driven, research-based National Tourism Master Plan spanning 15 to 20 years, with phased milestones and tourism clusters across the six geopolitical zones. Other priorities include infrastructure roadmaps, regulatory standards, public-private partnership funding models, security frameworks, legislative backing and a strong national institution to drive implementation across administrations.
While states continue to pursue independent tourism projects, the lack of a coordinating national framework has led to duplication and competition rather than collaboration. Lagos State offers a partial example of structured planning. Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Solomon Bonu, says the state’s Tourism Master Plan, already backed by law, integrates transport, agro-tourism and medical tourism.
Bonu stresses, however, that execution remains key. He calls for stronger private sector collaboration, increased funding and transparency, warning that even well-designed plans can fail without disciplined implementation.
Founder of Creative Naija, Frank Meke, echoes these concerns, describing tourism development without a master plan as “operating in the dark.” He argues that Nigeria is failing to convert cultural festivals into sustained tourism flows due to policy gaps, insecurity and weak event management. According to him, a master plan should guide investment decisions, identify tourism clusters, outline funding mechanisms and shape marketing strategies.
Security remains a critical constraint. Meke notes that Nigeria has struggled to host large-scale international festivals, warning that unresolved insecurity limits foreseeable gains from global tourism events. He advocates a shorter, reviewable master plan cycle of three to ten years, with clear sustainability actions and accountability.
As 2025 ends, consensus among stakeholders is clear: Nigeria’s tourism sector is expanding, but without direction. With hotels rising, festivals multiplying and creative industries gaining momentum, the absence of a national compass risks deepening inefficiencies and eroding long-term gains.
For policymakers entering a new year, the choice is stark—allow tourism to continue operating without structure, or anchor the sector with a master plan capable of unlocking jobs, investment, community development and national pride.
