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Migbaci Expo has announced plans to host a three-day major cultural and tourism exhibition in Decem­ber, bringing together over 15,000 stakeholders from across Nigeria and overseas to boost the sector.

The event, organised by Migba­ci Expo, is expected to attract hun­dreds of thousands more through social media platforms.

Mr. Akinwale Alabi, the Chief Executive Officer of Migbaci Expo, emphasised the urgent need for de­liberate government investment and attention towards reviving and disrupting Nigeria’s tourism industry for the benefit of its econ­omy.

“Tourism is the way to go. That is the core reason we are hosting this event to open eyes to what Ni­geria has and what we’re failing to harness,” Alabi said.

The exhibition will serve as a platform for training, agenda-set­ting, investment drives, and inter­state collaborations, with states invited to showcase their unique cultural sites and tourism offerings.

According to him, incentives such as free tourism trips will be awarded to attendees, and several partnerships are in the pipeline to enhance the event’s impact.

Alabi, lamented the general lack of recognition for Nigeria’s cultur­al festivals and heritage sites, de­scribing the country as “sitting on a gold mine” of untapped tourism assets.

“There is a full year-round cal­endar of tourism events in Nigeria that neither the government nor the private sector is leveraging. What some countries depend on for survival isn’t even half of what Nigeria has in tourism potential,” he said.

The Irish Commissioner is ex­pected to attend the exhibition, along with other foreign delegates, making the event both a national and international affair. The event will also collaborate with the Idea Hub in Dublin to enhance its im­pact.

Consultant Ayo Olesin drew at­tention to how other nations com­mercialise and celebrate their cul­tural elements in ways that boost their economies. “In Germany, sip­ping beer is a tourist attraction. In Cape Town, their wines are elevated and globally respected. Meanwhile, we have palm wine and unique tra­ditions here that we don’t promote,” he said.

Olesin, described tourism as a multibillion-dollar untapped indus­try in Nigeria, calling for a change in mindset and greater apprecia­tion for local cultural assets.