The Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy has unveiled a 100-day national tourism season tagged “Ember to Remember 2026,” designed to promote Nigeria’s cultural, tourism and creative experiences from September to December. The announcement was made on Monday in Abuja by the Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, during a press conference at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
National Tourism Calendar and Stakeholders Conference
Musawa said the initiative would be formally launched with the unveiling of the National Tourism Calendar at the Ember to Remember National Stakeholders Conference, scheduled for September 14, 2026, at Eko Hotel, Lagos. According to her, the campaign aims to move Nigeria beyond its traditional December tourism and homecoming activities by creating a coordinated national platform for showcasing the country’s culture, festivals, food, music, fashion, heritage and hospitality.
“What has been missing is a deliberate structure that brings these experiences together, gives them visibility, and allows us to market them as one powerful national story,” she said.
Connecting Tourism with the Wider Economy
The Minister explained that Ember to Remember would connect tourism with entertainment, hospitality, transportation, commerce and the wider creative economy, while creating economic opportunities for businesses and communities. “Ember to Remember is Nigeria’s coordinated September-to-December tourism season, a 100-day national programme designed to connect culture, tourism, entertainment, hospitality, transportation, commerce and the creative economy. It is about moving beyond simply having events to deliberately building an economy around those experiences. Today is the announcement. September 14 is the flag-off. One country. One calendar. One unforgettable season,” she said.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of MyCityApp, Ifeoma Mbonu, said the platform would power the National Digital Events and Experiences Calendar, providing a central platform for Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover events and experiences across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory. Mbonu urged event organisers across the country to visit MyCityApp and upload their events under the Ember2Remember section.
Economic Opportunities and Stakeholder Support
She said the initiative would go beyond listing events, as increased tourism activities could generate income for airlines, hotels, transport operators, restaurants, retailers and other local businesses. “This is more than a calendar. It is about economic opportunity,” she said, adding that connecting visitors to events and experiences across the country would help attract more tourists, support businesses and create jobs.
Other speakers at the event included the Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Dr. Aare Abisoye Fagade; Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Dr. Olayiwola Awakan; Head, Private Banking Abuja and North Region, Providus Bank, Silely Lothan; and General Manager, Operations, MTN, David Ogunsola.
The National Stakeholders Conference scheduled for September 14 is expected to bring together government representatives, state tourism authorities, private sector players, financial institutions, airlines, hospitality operators, event producers, creatives, technology companies and the media.
