Tinubu Gov’t Unveils Digital Platform, Targets 3 Million Jobs’ Creation By 2030

The Federal Government has launched a digital platform to help investors identify business opportunities in Nigeria’s tourism and creative industries as it targets a $100 billion contribution to the economy and more than three million jobs by 2030.

The platform, known as D30 or Destination 2030, is expected to provide information on tourism sites, creative professionals, cultural industries, infrastructure and government interventions to guide investment decisions, Naija News reports.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, unveiled the platform on Tuesday in Abuja, describing the initiative as a major step towards unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s cultural and creative assets.

Musawa said the lack of reliable and accessible data had made it difficult for investors and businesses to assess opportunities and determine the resources needed to develop the sectors.

She explained that D30 would bring together research, industry data and economic information to help government agencies, entrepreneurs and private investors make informed decisions.

“Today, we are not simply unveiling a technology platform. We are taking a deliberate step towards changing how Nigeria understands, measures and harnesses the economic value of its cultural and creative assets,” the minister said.

She noted that Nigeria’s music, film, fashion, visual arts, literature, cultural heritage and tourism attractions could generate substantial revenue, create jobs and support economic growth.

However, she said the country had not always had the comprehensive information needed to measure the full value of these sectors or identify areas requiring investment.

Musawa said the platform would help address the problem by connecting available information with practical business opportunities.

For instance, she explained that investors seeking to establish film production facilities, state governments planning tourism destinations and entrepreneurs looking to expand their businesses could use the platform to assess opportunities and infrastructure needs.

“These are the kinds of decisions we want D30 to support. We want to move from fragmented information to coordinated intelligence, from untapped potential to visible opportunities, and from economic possibilities to actual investments and sustainable jobs,” she said.

The minister said the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the ministry’s plan to generate more than three million jobs and contribute $100 billion to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.

She, however, stressed that achieving the targets would require investment, improved infrastructure, stronger institutions and policies that support businesses.

Musawa said D30 was not intended to be another government database but a tool that would help investors identify viable projects, businesses expand and government agencies make better use of public resources.

Tourism, Creative Economy

The minister also highlighted the connection between tourism and the creative economy, saying Nigerian music, films, festivals and cultural heritage could attract visitors and increase business for hotels, restaurants and other local operators.

She explained that the platform was designed to bring the two sectors together rather than treat them as separate areas of economic activity.

Musawa called on ministries, departments and agencies, state governments, industry associations, private businesses and research institutions to contribute to the initiative.

She said the government planned to establish a framework that would protect the confidentiality of contributed information while allowing stakeholders to access trusted, published data.

According to her, the platform’s success would depend on the investments it attracts, the businesses it supports and the jobs created through its use.

The minister commended Cavista, the ministry’s technology partner, for providing the expertise required to develop the platform.

She urged stakeholders to focus on turning the information available on D30 into practical economic benefits.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abdulkarim Ozi, described the launch as an important step towards developing Nigeria’s cultural and creative industries.

Ozi said the country’s music and film industries, fashion, visual arts and tourism destinations could attract more investment and create jobs if supported by reliable information and adequate infrastructure.

He explained that D30 would provide a central source of information on the sectors, helping investors identify emerging opportunities and businesses determine areas for expansion.

“The D30 Platform is designed to provide a centralized source of reliable information and economic intelligence on Nigeria’s creative and tourism sectors,” he said.

The permanent secretary added that achieving the ministry’s employment and GDP targets would require more than government policies and programmes.

He said infrastructure, credible information, partnerships and a business-friendly environment were necessary to attract investment and support growth.

Ozi urged government agencies, development partners and private-sector operators to work together to ensure that the platform remained reliable and useful.

He also said its performance should be judged by the investments it attracts, the businesses it supports and the jobs it helps create, rather than the amount of information stored on it.

Also speaking at the launch, the Executive Director and Vice President of Government and External Affairs at Cavista Holdings, Olumide Olayomi, said the company had committed private funding and technical expertise to the project through its subsidiary, Cavista Technologies, in partnership with the ministry.

Olayomi said D30 would provide information on tourism infrastructure, attractions, cultural and creative industries, government programmes and creative professionals.

He explained that the platform would help investors identify opportunities, assess infrastructure gaps and make better decisions about projects in the tourism and creative sectors.

According to him, the benefits of the initiative would depend on how effectively businesses, investors and government institutions used the information available.

“The value of this platform will ultimately be determined by how it is used. It will be measured by the quality of decisions it supports, the investments it helps unlock, the enterprises it enables to grow and the jobs that follow,” he said.

Olayomi added that the project showed how government policies and private-sector investment could work together towards a common economic goal.

He also highlighted Cavista Holdings’ involvement in the hospitality industry through Glocient Hospitality, which owns and operates Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort and Conference Centre in Ekiti State.

He said the company’s experience had shown the importance of infrastructure, accessibility, investment, skills and proper planning in developing successful tourism destinations.

The Cavista executive commended the ministry, the National Bureau of Statistics and other participating government institutions for their contributions to the initiative.

He said the launch marked the beginning of efforts to convert the platform’s information into investments and measurable economic gains.

“Our hope is that this platform will help Nigeria see its tourism and creative assets more clearly, identify opportunities more precisely and mobilize investment more effectively,” Olayomi said.

The D30 platform is expected to address some of these challenges by bringing information about tourism sites, infrastructure, creative professionals, cultural industries and government interventions together in one digital resource.

Its long-term impact will depend on the accuracy and regular updating of its data, the participation of relevant institutions and whether investors and businesses use the information to make decisions that lead to new projects, business expansion and job creation.