The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have reached an agreement to reinstate tourism information desks at major airports.
In a statement on Friday in Lagos, NTDA said the initiative seeks to address a major obstacle to Nigeria’s tourism growth.
The decision followed a meeting between NTDA’s Director-General, Dr Olayiwola Awakan, and FAAN’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, in Lagos.
Awakan noted that airports are key tourism hubs.
He noted that the absence of visible tourism desks had negatively impacted visitors’ first impression of the country.
“Tourism is about movement, and FAAN plays a big role in that. Airports are visitors’ first point of contact,” he said.
He lamented that poor info access and fragmented travel experiences were holding back the sector, despite Nigeria’s vast tourism potential.
According to Awakan, the return of tourism information desks will give arriving passengers immediate access to tools critical to turning arrivals into actual tourism spends.
He said the tools included guides, maps attraction highlights and local travel options.
“The renewed focus on airport-based tourism support is expected to create a warmer welcome for visitors and help showcase Nigeria’s rich diversity from the moment they arrive,” Awakan said.
Kuku welcomed the new collaboration, adding that aviation and tourism were naturally interconnected.
She commended Awakan for his long-standing support and reaffirmed FAAN’s readiness to work closely with NTDA.
She pledged FAAN’s commitment to improving passenger experience, upgrading airport infrastructure and supporting initiatives that would drive both domestic and international tourism arrivals.
To address coordination challenges that had slowed past efforts, both agencies agreed to set up a joint committee to handle data sharing and oversee collaborative projects.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports that this development is coming just as stakeholders, particularly the tour operators raised concerns about deep structural gaps that impacted the sector during the December festivities.
Logistics and operational costs were cited as challenges, driven by flights, accommodation, and last-minute changes, especially from diaspora guests.
NAN recalls that the National President of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators, Mrs Bolaji Mustapha, said the association would collaborate with airlines, as well as leverage technology to address some of the challenges.
