The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, in collaboration with Cavista Holdings’ technology arm, has officially launched the D30 Data Platform, an initiative aimed at creating three million jobs and adding 100 billion dollars to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030.

The Minister, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, disclosed this during the launch, describing the initiative as a significant milestone in the ministry’s efforts to transform Nigeria’s arts, culture, tourism and creative economy into a powerful engine of national economic growth.

She explained that, until now, the ministry had lacked reliable, accessible and comprehensive data to determine the true scale of opportunities within the sector and its contributions to the GDP, as it has largely been regarded as part of the informal economy.

According to her, Nigeria possesses immense creative talent, while its tourism destinations and cultural diversity across the states hold significant commercial potential that can be transformed into national economic assets if effectively and efficiently harnessed.

Musawa, however, noted that recognising the existence of opportunities was not enough without understanding where they were located, their scale, the constraints affecting them and the investments required to unlock their potential.

She stressed that what cannot be adequately measured cannot be effectively planned for, while opportunities that are not clearly understood are often overlooked by potential investors. She said this challenge inspired the development of the D30 Data Platform.

The minister further described the platform as the beginning of a broader commitment, noting that its true value would be measured by the opportunities it creates, the investments it attracts, the enterprises it supports and the jobs it helps generate.

She added that building a creative and tourism economy that is more visible to the world, attracts investment and competes effectively in the global market would require a collective effort.

In addition, the Vice President of Cavista Holdings, Olumide Olayomi, stated that sustainable economic growth requires ambition, the right investments, infrastructure and information to transform opportunities into results. He said D30 brings these elements together to improve how Nigerians understand, develop and invest in the tourism and creative sectors.

He added that Cavista Technology, a subsidiary of Cavista Holdings, had committed private funding and technical expertise to develop D30 in partnership with the ministry.

He explained that the platform was designed to address critical questions, including where opportunities exist within the sector, which states have the infrastructure to support growth, where the gaps lie, what investments are required and how progress can be measured. These, he said, would help the government and businesses make better-informed decisions.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Abdulkarim Ozi Ibrahim, reiterated the vast opportunities within Nigeria’s tourism and creative economy.

He, however, emphasised the need to identify, measure and understand these opportunities and make them accessible to those capable of transforming them into economic value.

He added that the ministry’s objective was to ensure that information is translated into data-driven insights to support investment, enterprise development and economic growth.

He stated that meaningful collaboration among ministries and agencies, industry stakeholders and development partners would be essential to ensuring that D30 continues to evolve into a trusted and valuable national resource.