In a coordinated push to unlock Nigeria’s vast tourism potential, the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has officially launched the NTDA Marketplace — also known as the Naija Flavour Marketplace — while the Lagos State Government presses ahead with the construction of a 68-bed tourist chalet complex in historic Badagry.
Unveiled during the maiden National Hospitality and Tourism Stakeholders’ Forum held March 31 to April 1, 2026, at the Monoliza Sport & Recreational Centre in Abuja, the marketplace is a hybrid digital-physical platform designed to connect tourism businesses, investors, destinations, innovators, and especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the value chain.
NTDA Director-General Ola Awakan described the initiative as a game-changer for a sector long hampered by fragmentation and limited visibility. “Tourism is labour-intensive. This marketplace will provide visibility and coordination for operators, stimulate entrepreneurship, and deepen value creation across the sector,” Awakan stated. The platform enables seamless showcasing of offerings, partnership-building, investment attraction, and expanded global reach, while supporting job creation for youth and women.
The launch forms part of NTDA’s broader repositioning under the NTDA Act 2022, which emphasises regulation, development, marketing, digitalisation, standardisation of hospitality enterprises, and stronger public-private collaboration.
Complementing the national effort, Lagos State is investing in on-ground infrastructure to boost its coastal tourism corridor. The 68-bed modern tourist chalets under construction in Badagry are expected to significantly enhance hospitality capacity and visitor experience in one of Nigeria’s most historic destinations.
Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, who announced the project last year and reaffirmed its progress, said the chalets represent “a major investment expected to enhance the area’s hospitality offerings and attract both local and international tourists.” She added that the development will “boost Badagry’s potential and brighten the image of Lagos tourism,” positioning the state as Africa’s premier leisure and cultural destination.
Together, the NTDA Marketplace and the Lagos chalets signal a new era of synergy between federal strategy and state-level execution — moving Nigerian tourism from potential to tangible prosperity through infrastructure, connectivity, and investor confidence.
