The Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has identified gastronomy as a major driver of Nigeria’s tourism economy, saying that the blend of food and culture has the potential to preserve cultural heritage, create jobs and strengthen the country’s global identity.
Musawa, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Abdulkarim Ozi Ibrahim, stated this on Thursday at the Nigeria-China Food Festival held at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja.
Speaking on the theme, “Bridging Culture through Cuisine,” Ibrahim said food goes beyond nourishment, noting that it reflects the history, creativity and identity of a people.
“Food does not merely nourish the body. It tells stories, preserves heritage, creates livelihood, and brings people together,” he said.
The minister said food and beverages had been identified as the largest subsector of Nigeria’s tourism economy, with culinary experiences increasingly influencing domestic travel.
“Gastronomy is tourism. Nigeria’s recent tourism and creative industry market has identified food and beverages as the single largest subsector of Nigeria’s tourism economy,” she said.
She said the Federal Government was strengthening the foundation of the creative economy through policy and financing frameworks, stakeholder engagement and institutional reforms.
According to her, the initiatives are aimed at improving the creative and cultural ecosystem, promoting tourism, strengthening investment opportunities and positioning Nigeria’s cultural heritage as an economic asset.
“We are also strengthening the foundation of the creative economy through policy and financing frameworks, stakeholders’ engagement, and institutional reforms with an ambitious target for increased contribution to national output and the creation of opportunities for our young people,” she said.
Musawa also called for stronger Nigeria-China cooperation in gastronomy, tourism, hospitality, culinary education and creative entrepreneurship, saying cultural exchanges remained important to strengthening bilateral relations.
The minister noted that 2026 marked 55 years of formal diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China, adding that the relationship had grown beyond diplomacy to encompass trade, infrastructure, education, technology, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
“Let us use food to open new doors of cooperation in gastronomy, tourism, hospitality, cultural exchanges, culinary education, and creative entrepreneurship,” she said.
Also speaking, Zhou Hongyou, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, said the food festival was an opportunity for both countries to deepen cultural understanding and strengthen friendship.
“Today we are bringing Chinese and Nigerian cuisines together. It is not just a feast for our taste buds, but it is also a conversation and a meeting of all cultures,” Zhou said.
He disclosed that China imported nearly $2.3 billion worth of goods from Nigeria in the first half of 2026, representing an almost 80 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025.
He added that total bilateral trade between the two countries reached $18 billion, representing a 75 per cent year-on-year increase.
Zhou further said China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries with diplomatic relations with Beijing provided an opportunity for Nigeria to expand its exports to the Chinese market.
“This is a great chance for Nigeria to expand exports to China,” he said.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare Abisoye Fagade, said the festival was about food, culture, friendship and economic opportunity.
He said Nigeria had a rich culinary heritage capable of supporting a globally recognised food tourism industry.
“Our task is to package, standardise, promote, and commercialise this heritage while preserving the authenticity,” Fagade said.
He said the festival’s theme, “From Farm to Feast,” captured the journey from farmer to chef and producer to consumer, while linking cultural identity with economic opportunity.
Meanwhile, the Director-General and Artistic Director/CEO of the National Troupe of Nigeria, Hajia Kaltume Bulama Gana, said cultural collaboration between Nigeria and China would deepen mutual understanding and respect.
Gana said the National Troupe’s joint performance with Chinese artistes, which combined traditional Nigerian drums with Chinese percussion instruments, demonstrated the potential of cultural diplomacy.
“For the first time, the National Troupe has come into this partnership where there is a joint performance of the National Troupe of Nigeria performing with the Chinese percussions and our own indigenous drums,” she said.
She expressed hope that the collaboration would lead to more reciprocal cultural exchanges, including performances by Nigerian artistes in China.
Former NIHOTOUR Director-General, Alhaji Munzali Dantata, also called for stronger Nigeria-China cooperation, particularly in education and cultural exchange.
Dantata recalled his experience studying in Beijing about 40 years ago, saying China had undergone remarkable transformation over the decades.
“See how, within 30 years, the country has changed,” he said.
The Nigeria-China Food Festival featured cuisines from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria and seven regions of China, alongside cultural performances, music, arts and crafts.
The event was organised by NIHOTOUR in partnership with the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria and supported by the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria.
