Nigeria’s Federal Government has unveiled Ember to Remember 2026, a coordinated national tourism campaign designed to turn the country’s September-to-December festive activities into a broader economic opportunity spanning culture, entertainment, hospitality and tourism.
The initiative was announced on August 17 by Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, during a press briefing in Abuja.
The Federal Government is partnering with digital platform MyCityApp to develop a national events and experiences calendar covering activities across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
READ ALSO
The programme is expected to formally take shape at the Ember to Remember National Stakeholders Conference scheduled for September 14 at Eko Hotel, Lagos, where the national calendar is expected to be unveiled.
The conference is expected to bring together government agencies, state tourism authorities, airlines, hospitality operators, financial institutions, event organisers, creatives, technology companies and media organisations.
Musawa said Nigeria already possesses the cultural and creative assets needed to compete more aggressively in the international tourism market, but needs a coordinated structure to package and promote them.
“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.
The initiative will bring festivals, concerts, food experiences, fashion events, cultural celebrations, heritage attractions, hospitality offerings and other tourism activities under one national programme.
The government’s strategy is also aimed at reducing the concentration of tourism activity around December, popularly associated with Nigeria’s “Detty December”, by encouraging visitors to plan their trips earlier and explore destinations outside the traditional tourism hotspots.
Chief Executive Officer of MyCityApp, Ifeoma Mbonu, said the platform would power the National Digital Events and Experiences Calendar, enabling Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international tourists to discover activities taking place across the country.
She urged event organisers nationwide to submit their programmes for inclusion on the platform.
According to Mbonu, the economic impact of attracting visitors would extend beyond event venues to airlines, hotels, transport operators, restaurants, retailers and other businesses.
“Every visitor who attends an event contributes to airlines, hotels, transport, restaurants, tourism, retail and local businesses,” she said.
The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority has also backed the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to showcase Nigerian destinations and experiences beyond December and encourage greater domestic travel.
The Federal Government is presenting Ember to Remember as more than an events directory. The broader objective is to connect tourism with entertainment, hospitality, transportation, commerce and the creative economy, creating a system in which visitor spending can circulate across multiple sectors.
But the initiative is still in its rollout phase. The full national events calendar has yet to be released, while the government has not announced specific targets for tourist arrivals, revenue or employment.
There is also a timing distinction to watch. While government statements describe Ember to Remember as a September-to-December 100-day tourism season, MyCityApp currently lists the campaign window as September 22 to December 31, 2026.
The September 14 stakeholders conference is therefore expected to clarify the final calendar, participating events and operational details.
The bigger challenge will be converting Nigeria’s existing festive-season popularity into sustained tourism activity, longer visitor stays and wider economic benefits for communities and businesses across the country.
