The Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN) has urged African governments to implement a continent-wide cultural mobility framework, describing it as a strategic move that could revolutionise tourism across the continent.
The President of ATPN, Femi Fadina, made the call in an interview with reporters on Sunday in Lagos.
Nigeria recently began implementing a 30-day visa exemption for Rwandan citizens following President Bola Tinubu’s announcement at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali.
The Nigeria Immigration Service said the policy was aimed at promoting intra-African mobility, tourism, and economic cooperation.
Speaking on the newly implemented 30-day visa-free entry policy for Rwandan nationals, Fadina said it should serve as a model for deeper regional tourism integration and economic cooperation across Africa.
He said the reciprocal visa arrangement between Nigeria and Rwanda represented more than just an immigration policy.
“It represents a philosophical shift from border protection to continental connection. Africa’s future prosperity depends on African interconnectedness,” he said.
Fadina further called on African nations to establish a cultural mobility framework centred on tourism, creativity, education, and economic diplomacy to unlock the continent’s tourism potential.
He recommended simplified short-term travel access for African citizens, special mobility arrangements for creative industry professionals, and a unified African festival calendar to encourage year-round travel across the continent.
“Africa is often marketed globally as separate destinations rather than one interconnected cultural civilisation,” he said.
Fadina added that easier movement across countries would create a multi-dimensional tourism corridor rather than isolated markets competing against each other.
He emphasised that improved intra-African mobility would strengthen spending within the continent by increasing activity in various sectors, including airlines, transport services, hotels, festivals, tour operations, and creative industries.
He said greater mobility would also deepen cultural understanding among Africans by encouraging exposure to shared histories, traditions, and artistic influences.
Fadina noted that Nigeria already possesses one of Africa’s strongest cultural export ecosystems through Nollywood, Afrobeats, fashion, cuisine, and youth culture.
However, he said restrictive travel systems had limited the country’s ability to convert its cultural influence into tourism revenue.
He added that if mobility policies improved across Africa, cities such as Lagos could emerge as major continental destinations for fashion, entertainment, conferences, and festival tourism, positioning Nigeria as a leading hub for African cultural and creative tourism.
