The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, in partnership with MyCityApp, has announced “Ember to Remember 2026,” a coordinated 100-day national tourism season scheduled to run from September to December.
The initiative is designed to bring together Nigeria’s cultural, tourism, entertainment, hospitality, transportation, commerce and creative economy sectors under a unified national tourism campaign.
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, announced the initiative on Monday in Abuja, saying the programme would be formally launched and its national calendar unveiled at the Ember to Remember National Stakeholders Conference on September 14, 2026, at Eko Hotel, Lagos.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Musawa said the initiative marked the beginning of a deliberate national effort to reposition tourism as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economy.
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She noted that although December had become synonymous with Nigeria’s tourism and homecoming season, the country’s festivals, culture, food, music, fashion, heritage and hospitality offered experiences that could attract visitors throughout the year.
“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,” she said.
According to the minister, the initiative would transform the traditionally busy December period into a broader tourism season covering 100 days.
“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. September 14 is the flag-off. One country. One calendar. One unforgettable season,” Musawa said.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of MyCityApp, Ifeoma Mbonu, said the platform would power the National Digital Events and Experiences Calendar, providing a central platform for Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover events and tourism experiences across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Mbonu described MyCityApp as a digital city and tourism platform connecting users with events, destinations, hospitality, culture and experiences across Nigeria.
“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,” she said.
She called on event organisers across the country to participate in the initiative by uploading their events to the platform through its Ember2Remember section.
Mbonu said the initiative was designed not merely as an events calendar but as an economic platform capable of driving tourism-related spending and creating opportunities for businesses.
“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,” she said.
NAN
