FG Maps 200 Rural Communities to Digital Tourism Platforms to Boost Cultural Tourism, Rural Revitalisation
The Federal Government has mapped more than 200 rural communities onto digital tourism platforms as part of efforts to harness cultural tourism for rural revitalisation and strengthen collaboration with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy (FMACTCE), Mr. Abdulkarim Ozi Ibrahim, disclosed this while delivering his opening address at the international seminar on “Cultural Tourism Empowerment for Rural Revitalisation in Belt and Road Countries”, held at the Institute of the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration in Beijing, China.
Ibrahim described cultural tourism as a powerful instrument for economic empowerment, noting that it creates employment opportunities for women, youths, artisans, farmers and community elders without requiring them to leave their local communities.
“Cultural tourism speaks directly to the heart of what the Belt and Road Initiative can achieve beyond infrastructure,” he said.
He observed that rural communities across Belt and Road countries remain custodians of over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s living cultural heritage, including traditional festivals, indigenous crafts, oral traditions, local knowledge systems and cultural landscapes preserved over generations.
According to him, sustainable rural empowerment depends on enabling communities to own and preserve their cultural narratives while investing in capacity building for hospitality, digital marketing, tour guiding and quality service standards. He stressed that infrastructure development under the Belt and Road Initiative should complement, rather than displace, local cultures.
The Permanent Secretary revealed that the Ministry has trained more than 10,000 young Nigerians as community tour guides and digital content creators to support the country’s expanding cultural tourism ecosystem.
In a statement, the Ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Amadi Uloma, quoted Ibrahim as saying that the Federal Government is also collaborating with local and sub-national governments in China and Rwanda to ensure that 40 per cent of tourism-generated revenue remains within host communities.
According to Ibrahim, the initiative is expected to stimulate local economies and reduce rural-to-urban migration by creating sustainable livelihoods in rural areas.
He noted that the seminar’s theme aligns with Nigeria’s broader national development agenda and its strategy to position culture and tourism as drivers of inclusive economic growth.
“Nigeria is blessed with more than 250 ethnic groups, colourful festivals, traditional crafts, historic monuments and rich artistic expressions, most of which are deeply rooted in our rural communities,” he said.
Calling for greater cultural cooperation among Belt and Road countries, Ibrahim urged participating nations to view the initiative as more than a trade corridor.
“Belt and Road is often called a road of trade. Let us also make it a road of culture — a road where every village is a destination, every elder is a teacher and every tradition is an asset,” he said.
He added that empowering rural communities through cultural tourism would not only strengthen local economies but also preserve national identities and promote global cultural exchange.
“Cultural tourism represents a bridge between the past and the future, between local and global engagement, and between economic opportunity and cultural preservation,” Ibrahim stated.
The seminar was attended by the Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Mr. Aare Abisoye Fagade; the Head of the China Cultural Centre, Abuja, Mr. Yang; the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria; as well as government officials and other stakeholders from participating countries.
