Abuja: Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy (FMACTCE), has announced that the Motherland Festival will serve as a platform to connect Nigerians in the diaspora with their homeland and culture.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Musawa made this announcement during a news conference to unveil plans and programs for the event. She explained that the Motherland Festival is part of the ministry’s broader strategy, “Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere,” an initiative aimed at amplifying the creative industries, strengthening international partnerships, and elevating Nigeria’s global cultural footprint.
Musawa emphasized that while Motherland 2025 aims to ignite immediate engagement, Destination 2030 ensures Nigeria’s continued presence as a key player in the global tourism and creative economy. As part of the festival’s activities, the ministry plans to launch the “See Motherland Through Your Eyes: Photo and Video Competition,” celebrating Nigeria’s rich and diverse identity.
The festival is organized by the FMACTCE in collaboration with Discover Motherland Africa and is scheduled to take place from December 15 to 21 in Lagos and Abuja. According to Musawa, the festival aims at reconnection, investment, and celebration of the nation’s shared heritage by stakeholders, including Nigerians in the diaspora and black people of Nigerian descent.
Musawa highlighted the initiative’s alignment with the ministry’s vision to position Nigeria as a premier global destination where tourism drives economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and national pride. She referred to Motherland 2025 as a catalyst for sustained engagement, fostering lasting connections between the diaspora and their homeland, investors and opportunities, and global travelers and Nigeria’s dynamic experiences.
As part of the project’s long-term components, the ministry is developing Diaspora City, a tourism hub where members of the diaspora can seamlessly invest, reconnect, and establish roots. Musawa emphasized Nigeria’s significant cultural and historical stature, noting that one in every four persons of African origin is Nigerian.
She extended an invitation to individuals seeking to rediscover their roots and contribute to Nigeria’s narrative through the Motherland Festival and its Citizenship program, which empowers individuals to trace their ancestry. The program is set to generate investment in Nigeria, supported by legal frameworks enabling diasporans and foreign nationals to obtain citizenship, safeguarding their investments.
Musawa called out to the global diaspora, inviting them to be part of something historic this December, to experience Nigeria’s warmth, culture, and the opportunities available. “Together, let us build a future that honors our heritage while driving forward economic and social progress,” she said.
Earlier, Mrs. Chidinma Nwankwo, Managing Director of Motherland Africa, described the festival as a movement to reconnect the Nigerian diaspora to their roots, unlocking investment, cultural pride, and a future brimming with opportunities. She emphasized that Motherland is more than an event-it is a homecoming and a journey.
Nwankwo invited the global diaspora to experience Nigeria not as visitors but as active participants in a redefined vision of tourism. Over seven days, attendees will immerse themselves in Nigeria’s rich traditions, vibrant history, and dynamic progress. The festival will feature pavilions offering Nigerian food tastings, performances, and tourism showcases, alongside technology pavilions spotlighting Nigeria’s brightest minds in AI, fintech, and agriculture.