The President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Dr . Aliyu Badaki has charged tourism stakeholders to collectively commit in making Nigeria a destination of choice,leverage on its diversity as strength and culture as capital.
This is as it also urged both the government and private sector to focus on recovery, growth and strategic partnership to grow Nigerian tourism in 2026.
Badaki, who gave this charge in his 2026 message, said the new year holds a lot of promises for the people and the sector.
While welcoming everyone to the new year, Badaki extended his warm greetings to all stakeholders, practitioners, investors, and advocates within Nigeria’s tourism ecosystem.
“This new year greets us not merely as a continuation of our journey, but as a decisive moment; one that calls for alignment, execution, and collective responsibility,”he said.
He expressed his appreciation to the Nigerian tourism family for holding strong and firm in the outgone year in the face of challenges faced by them, the sector and the nation.
‘‘I express my profound appreciation to members of the Nigerian tourism family. Your resilience, commitment, and belief in the sector despite economic headwinds, regulatory pressures, and structural constraints remain the backbone of our industry,’’ he said.
He continued, “I particularly acknowledge our tourism ambassadors at home and in the diaspora who continue to project Nigeria’s story, culture, and hospitality with pride on the global stage.
‘‘There is no denying that 2025 was a challenging year commercially for many operators. However, history will record it as a year of groundwork and recalibration. It was a period of rebuilding trust, strengthening engagement, and reopening critical lines of collaboration between Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), international development partners, and the organised private sector.”
FTAN President stated that the bridges rebuilt in the latter half of 2025 have laid the foundation for a more coordinated and purpose-driven tourism economy.
Badaki noted that it is within this context that the Tourism Transformation Mandate (TTM) becomes both relevant and urgent.
‘‘TTM is not a slogan; but a call to action anchored on policy alignment, private sector repositioning, investment readiness, human capacity development, destination competitiveness, and measurable outcomes,” he noted.
He added that TTM reflects a collective resolve to move Nigerian tourism from potential to performance.
According to him, ‘‘2026, therefore, must be a year of recovery, consolidation, and growth.
‘‘A year where: Policy frameworks translate into operational clarity; Partnerships evolve into co-investment and co-delivery; Standards replace informality; Data, skills, and professionalism drive decision-making; and Tourism asserts itself as a serious contributor to GDP diversification, job creation, and national branding.”
Badaki said FTAN remains unwavering in its commitment to this transformation, stressing that the Federation will continue to serve as a unifying platform for advocacy, engagement, capacity building, and strategic collaboration, ensuring that the private sector is not only heard but positioned as a true co-driver of national tourism development.
‘‘As we navigate 2026, we must also be honest about the realities before us: rising operating costs, regulatory overlaps, security perceptions, infrastructure gaps, skills shortages, and the need for improved ease of doing business. Yet, these challenges also present an opportunity to reset systems, strengthen governance, embrace innovation, and rebuild confidence across the value chain,” he further explained.
While assuring of the opportunities ahead, Badaki urged everyone to move forward and let mutual respect define its engagements.
He said every stakeholder, large or small, has a role to play, a value to add, and a responsibility to uphold standards.
Badaki tasked the tourism stakeholders to commit, collectively in making Nigeria a destination of choice; ‘‘leveraging on its diversity as strength, its culture as capital, and the people as its greatest asset.’’
He also charged both the government and operators on entrenching regulation and standardisation noting; ‘‘the role of standardisation is the foundation of tourism development in our sector. Therefore, both the standard body and the Federation will ensure a good working relationship to actualise this vision.’’
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