Youth Ministry Targets Tourism, Creative Economy As New Employment Frontier

By Jennete Ugo Anya

The federal government has signalled a strategic push to position tourism and the creative economy as platforms for youth empowerment and employment generation.

Ayodele Olawande, Honourable Minister of Youth Development, recently disclosed this while receiving a delegation from the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) during a policy engagement in Abuja.

Olawande said that the government intends to deepen youth participation across sectors including tourism, entertainment, sports, agriculture and education.

“These sectors offer significant opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods for young Nigerians,” Olawande said.

The engagement forms part of ongoing collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and tourism authorities to expand economic opportunities for Nigeria’s rapidly growing youth population.

DECISION HIGHLIGHT

The government intends to integrate tourism and creative industries into its youth empowerment strategy, linking these sectors with institutions such as the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to widen access to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities.

DECISION MEMO

Nigeria’s demographic reality continues to shape the country’s economic policy direction.

With one of the largest youth populations globally, the government faces persistent pressure to create employment pathways capable of absorbing millions of young entrants into the labour market.

In response, policymakers are increasingly examining non-traditional sectors of the economy as potential employment engines.

Olawande emphasised that tourism and cultural industries represent largely underutilised economic assets that could support youth entrepreneurship.

Olawande also said that many young Nigerians have yet to fully recognise the economic value embedded in their cultural heritage and local communities.

According to Olawande, unlocking this value will require structured tourism development and stronger collaboration between government institutions.

The minister also stressed the importance of inter-agency partnerships in implementing youth empowerment programmes.

Under the proposed framework, the Ministry of Youth Development intends to collaborate with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and the National Youth Service Corps to support youth enterprise development across multiple sectors.

Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, reinforced the argument that tourism represents an untapped economic resource.

Keshinro said that many young Nigerians remain unaware of the economic opportunities within the country’s cultural heritage.

According to Keshinro, structured engagement with tourism could open pathways for youth entrepreneurship while also strengthening Nigeria’s global tourism profile.

Ola Awakan, Director-General (DG) of NTDA, described Nigeria’s cultural diversity as a largely underexploited national asset.

Awakan said that the country represents a “microcosm of stories” capable of attracting both domestic and international tourism.

According to Awakan, expanding youth participation across tourism value chains could stimulate activity in sectors such as hospitality, culinary tourism, entertainment and cultural heritage services.

The tourism authority maintains that its mandate includes promoting Nigeria as a tourism destination, developing tourism sites and regulating industry activities at the federal level.

However, the success of youth-led tourism initiatives will depend on improvements in infrastructure, security conditions and destination marketing.

While the sector holds significant potential, Nigeria’s tourism industry remains underdeveloped relative to its cultural resources.

For policymakers, the challenge will be translating cultural assets into sustainable economic ventures capable of generating measurable employment outcomes.

DATA BOX

Policy Focus: Youth empowerment through tourism and creative economy

Lead Institution: Federal Ministry of Youth Development

Collaborating Agencies:
Nigerian Tourism Development Authority
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria
National Youth Service Corps

Key Economic Segments Identified:
Tourism
Creative industries
Entertainment
Agriculture
Sports
Education

Tourism Value Chain Opportunities:
Hospitality
Cultural tourism
Culinary tourism
Entertainment
Heritage tourism

Demographic Context:
Nigeria possesses one of the largest youth populations globally.

WHO WINS / WHO LOSES

Winners

Young entrepreneurs may gain new entry points into tourism and creative sectors.

Local communities could benefit from tourism-driven economic activity linked to cultural assets.

Small and medium-sized enterprises operating within tourism value chains may see expanded opportunities.

Losers

Regions lacking tourism infrastructure may struggle to benefit from sectoral expansion.

Traditional industries that fail to integrate cultural and tourism value chains may remain stagnant.

POLICY SIGNALS

The initiative reflects growing policy recognition that Nigeria’s creative and cultural sectors can support economic diversification beyond oil.

It also signals a shift toward integrating tourism development into broader youth employment strategies.

Inter-agency collaboration suggests an attempt to build a more coordinated national approach to youth entrepreneurship.

INVESTOR SIGNAL

The government’s focus on tourism and creative industries highlights emerging investment opportunities within Nigeria’s cultural economy.

Private sector actors in hospitality, event management, cultural tourism and digital media may find new collaboration opportunities with government-backed youth programmes.

Investors seeking exposure to Nigeria’s non-oil sectors may increasingly evaluate tourism and creative industries as growth areas.

RISK RADAR

Three structural risks remain evident.

First is infrastructure risk, as tourism growth depends heavily on transport, accommodation and security infrastructure.

Second is policy execution risk, particularly if inter-agency collaboration fails to translate into concrete programmes.

Third is market awareness risk, given that many young Nigerians remain unfamiliar with the commercial opportunities within tourism value chains.

Nigeria’s attempt to link youth empowerment with tourism development reflects a broader search for new economic drivers, but the effectiveness of the strategy will ultimately depend on implementation capacity and sustained investment in tourism infrastructure.