Travel/Tourism
5 Reasons Nigeria’s Festival Business Is Thriving
By Nkem Ndem
From stunning white masquerades at Eyo to the week-long festival held in honour of the river goddess, Oshun, Nigeria is home to some of Africa’s greatest festivals. Each year, locals and tourists from neighbouring countries and abroad, flock to events across the continent to witness and participate in festivals that showcase the religious history, music, art, indigenous folklore and cultural heritage of the nation.
While these festivals, of course, celebrate tradition, heritage and the rich history of the people through colourful attires, artistic expositions, and intriguing traditional rites, they also mean good times for performers, visitors and local businesses. Among the largest is the Calabar carnival which usually features as many as 50,000 costumed participants and attracted more than 2 million spectators last year. In what seems to be almost a decade, Nigeria has witnessed a consistent growth in the festival business and Jumia Travel gives five reasons for this.
Festivals mean big business for locals. From cultural to music festivals, these events form an important income stream for local communities and the host regions. They not only bring people together and get infrastructure built, they create jobs and if executed rightly, local businesses are at the centre of the creation of these types of events. With the increasing business opportunities for the events organizations and local businesses, there has been a sort of revolution in festivals in the commercial aspect.
Sponsors are now paying millions to brand festivals. Initially, festivals were done on low key, especially cultural festivals. However, today awareness for such events is now done on a large scale. From billboards, radio jingles and even ticket sales, a lot of strategies are now put in place to create massive awareness and captivate the target audience. These new strategies being adopted are made possible because sponsors and advertisers are willing to spend millions of dollars to target what they know is a truly captive audience. With donations from Telecoms such as MTN, GLO and AIRTEL to companies such as Indomie, UAC, Dangote and NGOs, festival sponsorship spending has been growing exponentially over the last couple of years, consequently leading to a boom in the Nigerian festival business.
Technology and Social Media Buzz
Technology has played a huge role in the boom of the festival industry in Nigeria. In addition to the fact that there have been advances in data gathering and analysis as well as wireless technology which have vastly improved how these festivals are planned and managed, Social Media has played a huge role in the marketing and promotions, as fans build communities online flood their social media feeds with photos, videos and posts highlighting festival fashion, top performances and more; sharing their excitement far and wide. The publicity and social media buzz drive help inspire others to attend these festivals, leading to a significant growth in the festivals business.
Media Coverage
The media coverage of these events has played a huge role in shaping the way these events are seen not just within the country, but around the world as it is hard to tell how many millions of people see it. The minds of these people who get to read about these events in the media and watch them on television are automatically shaped to envision the events as an avenue for fun. This propels them to plan, attend and invest in future events.
Millennial Are Driving Attendance
It is no secret that Millennial in Nigeria, who make up a large percentage of the population, would trade almost anything for the thrill of an experience, especially shareable, personalized experiences. These festivals feature everything that appeals to them, from music, alcohol, highly-shareable moments and a community of fans to a break from the hustle and so they are keen on driving. Their involvement in different aspects (including buying festival tickets, attending festivals e.t.c) has directly or indirectly also led to a growth in the country’s festival business.
Nkem Ndem is a PR Associate at Jumia Travel.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Emirates passengers travelling to or through Dubai will enjoy some exclusive offers, including complimentary stays at the iconic JW Marriott Marquis and hundreds of discounts through the popular My Emirates Pass, the airline operator has said.
In a statement, the company stated that from June 22 to July 12, 2026, travellers who purchase an Emirates return ticket in First Class or Business Class are invited to enjoy a two-night stay, while customers booked in Premium Economy Class or Economy Class can enjoy a complimentary one-night stay.
It was disclosed that this special offer is valid for all return tickets to or stopping over in Dubai for more than 24 hours, for customers travelling between June 25 and September 30, 2026.
In addition, passengers can enjoy over 600 offers available in the popular My Emirates Pass, which provides access to spas, restaurants, big-name retailers and much more by simply showing either a physical or digital boarding pass along with a valid ID at participating venues to enjoy the benefits.
These exclusive offers are being offered by Emirates through its Dubai Summer Surprises, which enters its 28th year in 2026.
Further, from July 2 to August 30, residents and visitors can expect an extraordinary live Beat the Heat DXB concert series, cultural events and an array of wellness and fitness activities, as well as big savings and exclusive, limited-time experiences in the city’s malls and lifestyle destinations.
“Whether visitors are seeking relaxation, adventure, entertainment, or a combination of all three, Dubai is the ideal start to any summer vacation.
“We’re inviting passengers to enjoy even more of the city with a complimentary hotel stay to take advantage of the exceptional range of shopping, entertainment, dining and family-friendly experiences that define the Dubai summer experience, when stopping over as part of your journey or visiting Dubai as your final destination,” the Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates, Mr Adnan Kazim, said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The popular Jabi Lake waterfront in Abuja is set to become a major leisure and tourism hub in the country, thanks to Akida Hills, which is making efforts to enable visitors to enjoy the transformation from December 2026.
The Nigerian mixed-use real estate and destination development company has been allocated a 3.36-hectare development site within the approximately 14-hectare waterfront district, where it will deliver a phased mix of recreational, entertainment, and public leisure experiences.
According to the deal, the first phase of the development will introduce the destination’s first operational attractions, including dining and leisure experiences, water-based activities, structured weekly programming, a seasonal lights festival, and the dancing musical fountain as its signature attraction.
Additional experiences and amenities will be introduced in subsequent phases as the destination evolves.
Designed as a central landmark within the waterfront experience, the dancing musical fountain will combine choreographed water displays, synchronised lighting, and music to create a distinctive evening attraction and focal point for visitor engagement.
Upon completion, the development is expected to serve as a major hub for tourism, recreation, entertainment, and community engagement, further strengthening Abuja’s position as a leading leisure and lifestyle destination.
Construction and implementation activities will progress in phases, with additional announcements on attractions, programming, and commercial partnerships expected ahead of the December 2026 launch.
“Jabi Lake represents one of the most significant opportunities to create a world-class waterfront destination in Africa.
“Through this development, we aim to deliver experiences that attract residents, visitors, and tourists year-round while contributing to economic growth, job creation, and Nigeria’s tourism appeal.
“Our vision is to establish Jabi as a defining waterfront destination for the continent – one that demonstrates the transformative power of destination-led development and reimagines how people experience a city,” the founder of Akida Hills, Mr Kayode Bamisile, said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is considering extending the deadline for its airport taxi upgrade policy to October, following concerns raised by the Nigeria Union of Private Cab Operators.
The development was disclosed on Monday in Lagos by Mr Henry Agbebire, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at FAAN, saying that the possible extension followed complaints and concerns from airport cab operators, even as the authority maintained that the policy was designed to improve service standards across Nigerian airports.
“The policy aligns with international best practices and seeks to elevate service quality,” Mr Agbebire said.
He added that passengers deserved “clean, safe, comfortable and professionally maintained vehicles” within airport transport systems.
The FAAN spokesman dismissed claims that the authority had failed to engage operators on the policy, insisting that consultations had been ongoing.
He said FAAN maintained regular discussions with licensed transport providers operating within airport premises, stressing that engagement was conducted directly with corporate entities rather than unions or associations.
“Engagements on operational matters are conducted directly with affected corporate entities,” he said.
Mr Agbebire explained that discussions on the upgrade requirement began in July 2024, giving operators time to comply.
He noted that the original compliance deadline had already been extended twice—from January 2026 to June 2026—citing economic realities and the need to give operators adequate preparation time.
According to him, the policy was not intended to punish operators or restrict their participation in airport transport services.
“Operators have been afforded ample opportunity to prepare for compliance,” he stated.
However, he warned that further extensions beyond the proposed October deadline may not be granted.
Mr Agbebire acknowledged the role of airport cab operators in passenger movement, urging them to support the initiative aimed at improving service delivery.
He added that FAAN remains committed to passenger-focused reforms across Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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