Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy has announced “Ember to Remember 2026”, a coordinated 100-day national tourism season scheduled for September to December. This was contained in a statement signed by Nneka Ikem Anibeze, SA Media and Publicity to the Honourable Minister, Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy.
The Honourable Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, Esq., who made the announcement on Monday in Abuja, said the campaign will be formally flagged off and the National Calendar unveiled at the Ember to Remember National Stakeholders Conference on 14th September 2026 at Eko Hotel, Lagos.
Speaking at a press conference at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, the Honourable Minister said the announcement marks the beginning of a national conversation on how Nigeria presents itself and grows tourism as an economic sector. She noted that while December has long been associated with Nigeria’s tourism and homecoming experience, the country’s culture, festivals, food, music, fashion, heritage, and hospitality exist all year round.
“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. That is what Ember to Remember seeks to achieve.
“Ember to Remember is Nigeria’s coordinated September-to-December tourism season, a 100-day national programme designed to connect culture, tourism, entertainment, hospitality, transportation, commerce and the creative economy. It is about moving beyond simply having events to deliberately building an economy around those experiences. Today is the announcement. 14th September is the flag-off. One country. One calendar. One unforgettable season,” the Minister concluded.
Speaking also at the event, the CEO of MyCityApp, Ifeoma Mbonu, said the platform will power the National Digital Events and Experiences Calendar to help Nigerians, the diaspora and international visitors discover events across all 36 states and the FCT.
“MyCityApp is a digital city and tourism platform connecting people to Nigeria’s events, destinations, hospitality, culture and experiences. Our vision is simple: wherever you are, when you ask ‘What is happening in Nigeria from September to December?’ there should be one place to find the answer. We are therefore inviting event organizers across Nigeria to visit http://MyCityApp.io, click on Ember2Remember and upload their events.
“This is more than a calendar. It is about economic opportunity. Every visitor who attends an event contributes to airlines, hotels, transport, restaurants, tourism, retail and local businesses. By connecting to these experiences, we can attract more visitors, support businesses, create jobs and strengthen Nigeria’s tourism economy.”
Other speakers at the event included the Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Dr. Aare Abisoye Fagade; Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Dr. Olayiwola Awakan; Head, Private Banking Abuja and North Region, Providus Bank, Silely Lothan; and General Manager, Operations, MTN, David Ogunsola.
The National Stakeholders Conference on 14th September will bring together government, state tourism authorities, the private sector, financial institutions, airlines, hospitality leaders, event producers, creatives, technology companies and the media.
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