By Kelu Musa
Dr Olayiwola Awakan, Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), has called for tourism film festivals to attract tourists from the international travel market and stimulate economic activities in host communities.
He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday at the ongoing 23rd Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF).
The 2026 edition of the annual fiesta is holding from Oct. 20 to 25 in Abuja, bringing together filmmakers, actors, regulators and other stakeholders in the creative and tourism sector.
According to him, tourism film festivals are veritable platforms to bridge the gap between cinema and destination marketing, and drive inbound tourism by showcasing local landscapes, culture, and hospitality to international audiences.
Awakan said the proposed festivals would showcase films featuring tourist destinations, which would attract audiences to visit the locations and spend money in host communities.
“Nothing should stop us from having our own tourism film festivals,” he said.
According to him, using tourism film festivals to attract inbound visitors to Nigeria will connect the country’s booming film industry with cultural and destination marketing.
He explained that the initiative would bring together films featuring tourist destinations to promote Nigeria’s attractions through cinema.
“By the time you screen these movies, it’s an opportunity for anybody who sees those movies to be interested in visiting those locations,” he said.
Awakan said increased visits could support transportation, community development and other tourism-related businesses.
“By so doing, they are spending money in those places, they are developing the communities,” he said.
He said the authority intended to collaborate with private-sector operators and relevant government agencies to develop the initiative.
“I felt the need for us to come together, sit down, work with the private sector, work with other relevant agencies, and craft something of that nature,” he said.
The NTDA helmsman said Nigeria had numerous stories that could be adapted into films and documentaries to showcase its cultural heritage and tourism attractions.
“I believe that we need more platforms to tell our indigenous stories, and not just telling the indigenous stories on the surface, but telling them with substance.
“Those stories can be turned into real movies, they can be turned into real documentaries, and you shoot them at locations that are also tourist destinations,” he said.
Awakan said showcasing destinations through films could also help address negative perceptions about Nigeria among international audiences.
He disclosed that the authority was developing a tourism-dedicated streaming platform expected to be unveiled in 2027.
“We are like 75 to 80 per cent done. It’s called NITOUREY and it’s the first of its kind, tourism-dedicated streaming platform,” he said.
According to him, the platform is being developed in partnership with relevant stakeholders in the private sector and will feature films showcasing Nigerian tourist attractions.
He said viewers would also be able to express interest in visiting destinations featured in the films, linking film viewing with tourism.
He added that the authority was holding discussions with the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) on aspects of the project.
Earlier, Founder of the AIFF, Fidelis Duker, said the theme of the 23rd edition, “Frames without Borders: AI, Ethics, and the Future of Filmmaking, “was to spark conversations on AI and filmmaking ethics.
He said the theme would examine opportunities and ethical questions arising from the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking.
“As storytellers, how do we protect the human soul of cinema while adopting the technology of tomorrow?” he asked.
Duker said the festival would feature international and Nigerian feature films, short films, documentaries, animations, and student experimental works.
According to him, the Abuja Film Academy will organise masterclasses and training sessions in acting, production management and scriptwriting at the festival.
He said the festival would also feature discussions on film distribution, collaborations and the economic outlook of the global film industry.(NAN)
Edited by Joshua Olomu
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