The former Director-General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Mr. Folarin Coker, and other tourism stakeholders have called for improved Artificial Intelligence regulations and its transformation for sustainable growth in Nigeria’s tourism and travel sector.

The call was in sequel to the recent technical network glitch involving the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Nigeria International Travel Portal (NITP), which disrupted travel operations and left thousands of inbound and outbound passengers stranded at airports worldwide.

The incident, which reportedly prevented passengers from boarding flights bound for Nigeria, has renewed concerns over the country’s reliance on digital systems and highlighted the need for stronger technological infrastructure, effective regulation and improved AI integration to ensure seamless travel operations and enhance the tourism experience.

Speaking on Villa Square, a special segment of Cre8tive 9Ja, a weekly tourism and culture magazine programme hosted by veteran tourism journalist Frank Meke and Bunmi Bade-Adeniji on Mainland 98.3 FM, Lagos, former Director-General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Folarin Coker, said Nigeria should not confuse digitisation with transformation.

“We should not confuse digitisation with transformation. Putting a broken process online is not reform,” Coker said.

He noted that the country’s ambition should be to make travel easier, improve the productivity of tourism businesses and ensure better management of destinations.

Coker said there was a need to deconstruct the existing system and create an ecosystem in which the necessary structures work effectively before AI is deployed to deepen the passenger experience.

According to him, AI can improve various aspects of travel, including the embassy and visa processes, flight bookings, pricing, arrival experiences, transportation and cultural engagement.

“Artificial Intelligence and technology are being mistaken for true development. It is not about another app or website, but about fixing the things that need to be fixed and setting the standards,” he said.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Global Links Service, Pastor Chinyere Umeasiegbu, said airline operators were often responsible for flight disruptions.

She urged airline operators to address the recurring issue of flight cancellations, stressing the need for sustainable reforms that do not rely solely on Artificial Intelligence.

Umeasiegbu also called for improved communication between airlines and passengers, advising travellers to take screenshots of messages relating to flight delays and submit them to the appropriate authorities when necessary.

Coker further stated that the government must address fundamental infrastructure challenges, including roads and security, while establishing standards for globally competitive hotel services rather than relying on AI as a substitute for broader development.

“A digitally driven tourism agenda is what most people are using. However, we have a gifted cultural expression that can help amplify our tourism agenda, from music, fashion and food to medical tourism,” he said.

He stressed the need for government to make Nigeria’s tourism experience more accessible by providing the necessary infrastructure and ensuring that tourism products and destinations are easily bookable without technological disruptions.

The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Obi Asika, disclosed that the council had established a Council for Creative Technology and would soon publish a digital roadmap outlining how Artificial Intelligence could be incorporated into the arts and culture sector.

“We need to enrich Artificial Intelligence with the elements of our culture, our history and our content. We need to do this and put the necessary systems in place because, if we don’t, Artificial Intelligence might not be able to see us,” Asika said.

He explained that the concern was partly linked to the data and content used to train AI systems, noting that African and Black tourism and cultural knowledge needed greater representation.

On the role of AI in food tourism and promoting Nigerian cuisine globally, Chef Shine said the technology could be used to properly document and promote the country’s culinary heritage.

“It is important for us to use AI to document our food properly. AI will not take over our food, nor will AI cook the food,” he said.

“This is the best time to discuss the digital agenda and Artificial Intelligence. We need to use AI to document our food and monetise our cuisine,” he added.

Speaking on the use of AI in promoting Nigeria as a tourism destination, travel and tourism journalist Okorie Uhuru said the technology was already transforming the way destinations and tourism products were marketed.

“The old order of doing things, like packaging a destination tour and marketing tourism, has faded because of Artificial Intelligence. AI has helped us market our tourism to a global audience,” he said.

Uhuru urged tourism stakeholders and individuals to adapt to the technology in order to remain competitive.

“As individuals, you have to make an effort to align with AI to sell your tourism product; otherwise, you will be left behind,” he said.

Professor Wasui Babalola called on the government to develop policies that would help translate technological advancement into economic value.

He said the digital transformation process must retain a human element if it is to contribute meaningfully to the development of Nigeria’s tourism sector.

“The knowledge of the digital process should be given with a human element, and that is when our tourism would improve,” Babalola said.

This piece is contributed by Onyeka Ezike

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, today, marks his 60th birthday with a deeply personal reflection on a life shaped by faith, family, service and an enduring commitment to building institutions, people and opportunities.

In a message shared on LinkedIn, Aig-Imoukhuede received the milestone with gratitude to God for life, grace, family, friendship and the privilege of living with purpose.

“Today, I turn 60,” he wrote. “I receive this milestone with profound gratitude to God, for life, for grace, for family, for friendship, and for the privilege of purpose.”

Looking back on the different chapters of his life, Aig-Imoukhuede identified one defining idea that has connected much of his journey: a calling to build.

“To build institutions. To build people. To build opportunities. To help build a stronger Africa,” he stated.

Beyond institutions and opportunities, he said the journey has also been about building a life anchored in faith, family, service and values that will endure beyond any one individual.

Aig-Imoukhuede acknowledged that whatever he has accomplished was made possible by the extraordinary people who accompanied him on the journey. He expressed appreciation to his wife, Ofovwe, their children, family members, friends, colleagues, partners and mentors who challenged, supported and shared in the work.

“Whatever has been accomplished has never been mine alone,” he said. “I have been blessed with extraordinary people who have challenged me, supported me and shared in the work.”

He also paid special tribute to his mother, Pastor Emily, and his close partner, Herbert, whose memories remain an important part of his journey.
Reflecting on his 50th birthday, Aig-Imoukhuede recalled describing himself at the time as “God’s Work in Progress”. A decade later, he said that description remained true.

“The building continues,” he declared.
Rather than regard his 60th birthday as the culmination of his journey, Aig-Imoukhuede sees it as the beginning of another decade of purposeful work and service.

As he looks to the future, his prayer is for God to grant him the grace, wisdom and strength to continue building more intentionally and generously, with an even greater commitment to leaving behind stronger institutions, wider opportunities and transformed lives.

The reflection presents his birthday not simply as a celebration of longevity or accomplishment, but as an opportunity to renew his commitment to service, purpose and impact.

For Aig-Imoukhuede, the work of building is therefore far from complete. His focus remains on creating institutions and opportunities that endure, empowering people and contributing to the emergence of a stronger Africa.

“Sixty years. Deeply thankful. Still building,” he concluded. “To God be all the glory.”

At 60, Aig-Imoukhuede is not looking back with a sense of completion. He is entering a new decade with gratitude for the journey so far and a renewed determination to keep building lives, opportunities and institutions that will outlast him.

A former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has died at the age of 77.

Idris reportedly died in the United Kingdom on Sunday, September 20, 2026, with news of his death prompting visits by political leaders and senior government officials to his Abuja residence.

Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo; former Governor Yahaya Bello; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abdullahi Bello; and other senior government officials visited the residence to condole with the family.

Onogwu Muhammed, Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Public Relations and Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Bello, disclosed the visit in a Facebook post on Sunday, accompanied by photographs of Ododo and Bello at the residence.

“Kogi State governor, His Excellency Ahmed Usman Ododo; former Governor Yahaya Bello, CON; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Abdullahi Bello; and other top government officials have arrived at the Abuja residence of the late former Governor Ibrahim Idris, who passed away this afternoon”, he wrote.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, mourned the former governor, describing him as a significant figure in the political history of Kogi State and the PDP.

The circumstances surrounding the former governor’s death were not immediately clear.

Born in 1949, Idris was a businessman before venturing fully into partisan politics. He established the Ibro Trading Company and was involved in business interests spanning construction, furniture manufacturing and hospitality.

His political career eventually took him to the centre of Kogi State politics, where he emerged as one of the leading figures of the PDP.

Idris became governor of Kogi State in May 2003 after winning the governorship election on the platform of the PDP. He succeeded Prince Abubakar Audu and remained in office after the 2007 governorship election, although the outcome of that election became the subject of prolonged legal proceedings.

Following a court ruling nullifying the 2007 election, a fresh governorship election was conducted in 2008, which Idris won, enabling him to continue in office.

He eventually completed his tenure in January 2012 and was succeeded by Captain Idris Wada. His nearly nine-year tenure made him one of the longest-serving elected governors in the history of Kogi State.