The Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Lola Ade-John, says Nigeria played host to no fewer than 1.2 million international visitors in 2023.
She disclosed this in Lagos on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at the 20th edition of the AKWAABA African Travel and Tourism Market.
- “We welcomed 1.2 million international visitors in 2023, boosting foreign exchange,” the minister said.
- She added that domestic tourism recorded three million trips in 2023, up 20 percent from 2022, with 200 million potential travellers in the country.
- According to her, tourism contributed 3.65 percent ($17.3 billion) to Nigeria's GDP in 2022, and the sector employs about 1.91 million people every year.
Young people driving the sector
Ade-John said Nigeria's young population is a major strength for tourism.
- About 70 percent of Nigerians are under 30, and 65 percent of domestic trips in 2023 were made by travellers aged 18 to 35.
- Youth-led tourism startups have grown by 150 percent over the past three years.
- “80 percent of our tourism workforce are under 40 years,” she said.
The minister said the government would keep working with the private sector to market Nigeria as a destination and attract more visitors and investment into tourism.
