Business
Nigeria’s culture, food for display at Naija Flavour in December – NTDA boss
The Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Olayiwola Awakan, has assured Nigerians that the Agency’s target is to build a tourism industry that generates income, sustains jobs, and promotes national pride.
Awakan explained that Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy remain a driving force of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He spoke in Abuja at the official unveiling of Naija Flavour, destination December 2025.
Destination December 2025 is a creative tourism event scheduled for 13 December 2025 to showcase Nigerian food, fashion, theatre, music, and a Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) marketplace to promote tourism and the Nigerian economy.
The event, Awakan said, will provide a visibility platform for culture, entrepreneurship, food, fashion, games, musical concerts, and live theatre to thrive.
Awakan stressed that it will be a space where businesses meet opportunities, where SMEs gain customers and partners, and where tourism becomes a real economic force.
He added, “Naija Flavour is not just entertainment; it is economic empowerment.” He noted that through Naija Flavour, “we are giving these businesses visibility, access, and platforms to thrive.”
“Naija Flavour has been conceptualized to generate wealth, empower local businesses, strengthen our creative economy, and build a tourism experience that sustains itself and stimulates national growth,” he added.
He also stressed that Nigeria is not just a country, “We are a global vibe, especially in December. Our December has become world-famous. “Detty December” is a period when the world comes to us to taste our culture, feel our music, eat our food, wear our fashion, and immerse ourselves in the energy that makes Nigeria unforgettable.
‘Naija Flavour is a taste of our diversity. It is a toast to our creativity. It is a stage for innovation. A celebration of tourism powered by the people. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we will continue to build a tourism industry that generates income, sustains jobs, and promotes national pride.”
Some of the programs outlined for the event, according to him, include a theatrical production titled “Echoes of the Drums.” This is a celebration of communal life, unity, eco-tourism, spirituality, supernatural folklore, and our rich ancestral heritage. “The drum is not only an instrument; it is communication, identity, celebration, and a spiritual pulse that connects generations.
“Echoes of the Drums” is written by my humble self. Ola Awakan, directed by the renowned Isioma Williams, and produced through a strategic NTDA collaboration with the Guild of Theatre Arts Drummers (GOTHAD), together, we are using theatre as a tool for tourism storytelling and cultural preservation.”
He therefore urged Small and Medium Entrepreneurs and creative entrepreneurs to use the opportunity to showcase their brilliance.
