By Onyeka Ezike
Former Director-General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Folarin Coker, and other tourism stakeholders have called for improved regulations and strategic use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive sustainable growth in Nigeria’s tourism and travel sector.
The call followed a recent technical network glitch involving the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Nigeria International Travel Portal (NITP), which disrupted travel operations and reportedly left thousands of inbound and outbound passengers stranded at airports worldwide.
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The incident, which reportedly prevented some passengers from boarding flights to Nigeria, has renewed concerns over the country’s reliance on digital systems and highlighted the need for stronger technological infrastructure, effective regulation and improved AI integration to ensure seamless travel operations and enhance the tourism experience.
Speaking on Villa Square, a special segment of Cre8tive 9Ja, a weekly tourism and culture magazine programme hosted by veteran tourism journalist Frank Meke and Bunmi Bade-Adeniji on Mainland 98.3 FM, Lagos, Coker said Nigeria should not confuse digitisation with transformation.
“We should not confuse digitisation with transformation. Putting a broken process online is not reform,” Coker said.
He said the country’s ambition should be to make travel easier, improve the productivity of tourism businesses and ensure better management of destinations.
Coker said there was a need to deconstruct the existing system and create an ecosystem in which the necessary structures function effectively before AI is deployed to improve the passenger experience.
According to him, AI could improve various aspects of travel, including embassy and visa processes, flight bookings, pricing, arrival experiences, transportation and cultural engagement.
“Artificial Intelligence and technology are being mistaken for true development. It is not about another app or website, but about fixing the things that need to be fixed and setting the standards,” he said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Global Links Service, Pastor Chinyere Umeasiegbu, said airline operators were often responsible for flight disruptions.
She urged airline operators to address recurring flight cancellations, stressing the need for sustainable reforms that do not rely solely on Artificial Intelligence.
Umeasiegbu also called for improved communication between airlines and passengers, advising travellers to take screenshots of messages relating to flight delays and submit them to the appropriate authorities when necessary.
Coker further stated that the government must address fundamental infrastructure challenges, including roads and security, while establishing standards for globally competitive hotel services rather than relying on AI as a substitute for broader development.
“A digitally driven tourism agenda is what most people are using. However, we have a gifted cultural expression that can help amplify our tourism agenda, from music, fashion and food to medical tourism,” he said.
He stressed the need for the government to make Nigeria’s tourism experience more accessible by providing the necessary infrastructure and ensuring that tourism products and destinations are easily bookable without technological disruptions.
The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Obi Asika, disclosed that the council had established a Council for Creative Technology and would soon publish a digital roadmap outlining how Artificial Intelligence could be incorporated into the arts and culture sector.
“We need to enrich Artificial Intelligence with the elements of our culture, our history and our content. We need to do this and put the necessary systems in place because, if we don’t, Artificial Intelligence might not be able to see us,” Asika said.
He explained that the concern was partly linked to the data and content used to train AI systems, noting that African and Black tourism and cultural knowledge needed greater representation.
On the role of AI in food tourism and the promotion of Nigerian cuisine globally, Chef Shine said the technology could be used to properly document and promote the country’s culinary heritage.
“It is important for us to use AI to document our food properly. AI will not take over our food, nor will AI cook the food,” he said.
“This is the best time to discuss the digital agenda and Artificial Intelligence. We need to use AI to document our food and monetise our cuisine,” he added.
Speaking on the use of AI to promote Nigeria as a tourism destination, travel and tourism journalist Okorie Uhuru said the technology was already transforming the way destinations and tourism products were marketed.
“The old order of doing things, like packaging a destination tour and marketing tourism, has faded because of Artificial Intelligence. AI has helped us market our tourism to a global audience,” he said.
Uhuru urged tourism stakeholders and individuals to adapt to the technology to remain competitive.
“As individuals, you have to make an effort to align with AI to sell your tourism product; otherwise, you will be left behind,” he said.
Professor Wasui Babalola called on the government to develop policies that would help translate technological advancement into economic value.
He said the digital transformation process must retain a human element if it is to contribute meaningfully to the development of Nigeria’s tourism sector.
“The knowledge of the digital process should be given with a human element, and that is when our tourism would improve,” Babalola said.
