ABUJA: Nigeria’s tourism and creative industries could receive a major investment boost following the Federal Government’s launch of a new digital platform designed to connect investors with business opportunities across the country.
The platform, known as D30 or Destination 2030, was unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday by Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, as the government pursues a target of generating $100 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) contribution and creating more than three million jobs from the sectors by 2030.
The initiative is expected to provide investors, entrepreneurs, government agencies and businesses with access to information about Nigeria’s tourism destinations, cultural assets, creative professionals and infrastructure needs.
The government hopes that better access to reliable data will help investors identify viable projects, encourage private-sector participation and turn the country’s cultural and creative potential into measurable economic gains.
Speaking at the launch, Musawa said the lack of reliable and comprehensive information had limited the ability of investors and policymakers to fully assess opportunities in Nigeria’s tourism and creative industries.
She explained that the D30 platform was developed to bring together research, industry data, mapping and economic intelligence in one place, helping stakeholders make decisions based on evidence rather than fragmented information.
The minister said the platform was intended to change how Nigeria measures and harnesses the economic value of its cultural and creative assets.
For investors, the information could help identify locations that need tourism infrastructure, assess opportunities for film production facilities and determine where creative businesses could expand.
State governments could also use the data to plan tourism destinations, while entrepreneurs could identify opportunities to develop businesses around entertainment, hospitality and cultural attractions.
Musawa said the goal was to move from untapped economic potential to identifiable investment opportunities, sustainable businesses and jobs.
The Federal Government’s 2030 ambition places Nigeria’s entertainment, cultural and tourism industries at the centre of its economic diversification strategy.
Nigeria’s music, film, fashion, visual arts and literature industries have the potential to support employment and generate revenue, while cultural festivals, heritage sites and natural attractions could create additional opportunities for tourism businesses.
Musawa said the D30 initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the ministry’s plan to expand the contribution of these sectors to the national economy.
However, she acknowledged that achieving the targets would require coordinated action, strategic investment, improved infrastructure, stronger institutions and an enabling business environment.
The minister stressed that launching the platform alone would not deliver the desired results. Its value would depend on how effectively businesses, investors and public institutions used the information to support real economic activity.
One of the platform’s central objectives is to make information about Nigeria’s tourism and creative industries more accessible to those considering investment.
According to the ministry, D30 brings together information on tourism infrastructure, attractions, cultural and creative industries, government interventions and creative professionals.
An investor considering a film production facility, for example, could use relevant information to assess potential opportunities and infrastructure requirements. A state government planning a tourism destination could use the platform to identify development needs, while a hospitality operator could assess opportunities linked to festivals and cultural attractions.
The platform is also intended to connect tourism with the creative economy.
Nigerian films, music and festivals can attract international attention and encourage visitors to explore the country. Increased tourism activity can, in turn, create demand for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, event organisers and other local businesses.
The government hopes that bringing these sectors together through a common information resource will help stakeholders identify opportunities that might otherwise remain overlooked.
Cavista Holdings, the technology development partner, contributed private funding and technical expertise to the project through its subsidiary, Cavista Technologies, in partnership with the ministry.
Speaking at the unveiling, Olumide Olayomi, Executive Director and Vice President of Government and External Affairs at Cavista Holdings, said the platform was designed to help stakeholders identify investment opportunities, assess infrastructure gaps and make better-informed decisions.
Olayomi explained that D30 consolidates information on tourism sites, attractions, creative professionals, cultural industries and government interventions.
He said the platform’s ultimate impact would depend on whether its information translated into new investments, expanding businesses and employment opportunities.
Olayomi also highlighted the company’s hospitality interests through Glocient Hospitality, which owns and operates Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort and Conference Centre in Ekiti State.
He noted that developing successful tourism destinations requires more than attractive locations, pointing to the importance of infrastructure, accessibility, investment, skills and effective planning.
He also commended the ministry, the National Bureau of Statistics and other participating government institutions for their contributions to the initiative.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abdulkarim Ozi, described the launch as an important step towards harnessing the economic potential of Nigeria’s cultural and creative assets.
He said the country’s entertainment industries, fashion, visual arts and tourism destinations could attract investment and generate jobs when supported by credible information and appropriate infrastructure.
Ozi added that achieving the government’s targets would require cooperation among public institutions, development partners and private businesses.
He said the platform should be judged by its ability to attract investment, empower enterprises, create jobs and contribute to national development, rather than by the volume of information it contains.
The government has also indicated that information contributed to the platform would be handled through a collaborative framework designed to protect its integrity and confidentiality while making trusted published intelligence accessible to stakeholders.
The launch comes as Nigeria’s music, film and fashion industries continue to attract international attention. The country also has cultural heritage sites, natural attractions and hospitality businesses that could support tourism development.
Yet turning these assets into sustained economic growth requires reliable information, financing, improved infrastructure and effective coordination between government agencies and private operators.
D30 is intended to address the information gap by creating a central resource for understanding the sectors and identifying opportunities for investment.
Its long-term effectiveness will depend on the quality and regular updating of its data, the participation of relevant institutions and whether investors actually use the platform to make business decisions.
The government’s $100 billion GDP target and ambition to create more than three million jobs by 2030 remain objectives to be achieved, not results secured by the launch.
For Nigeria’s tourism and creative industries, the key question is whether the new platform can help convert cultural visibility and untapped attractions into viable businesses, increased investment and sustainable employment.
RapidoSpace News will continue to follow developments in Nigeria’s tourism, technology and creative economy.
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