Ado Salisu
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, will lead agencies under the ministry to participate in the 2026 National Sports Tourism Conference and Exhibition 2026 (NASTOCE 2026) scheduled to hold in Abuja later this month.
The conference, which will take place from March 30 to 31 at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, will bring together stakeholders from government ministries, departments and agencies to explore how sports, tourism and aviation can jointly contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.
On the opening day of the conference, Keyamo is expected to lead the aviation ministry and its agencies at a plenary session focused on “General Air Transport Services and Aerospace Management: A Vital Component in Sport Tourism Development in Nigeria.”
According to the organizers, the minister will deliver the keynote address, while heads of aviation agencies will present position papers outlining their respective roles in supporting sports tourism development in the country.
The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) will participate as a special guest panelist and present a paper on policy mechanisms aimed at ensuring seamless and safer air transportation to support sports tourism.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will present a position paper on safeguarding aviation operations and strengthening the industry’s role in promoting sports tourism.
Other aviation agencies expected to make presentations include the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which will discuss strategies for efficient and safer air transport service delivery, and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), which will focus on improving inter-modal safety investigations to support the sector.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) will also present on the importance of accurate weather and climate information for safer aviation operations and the growth of sports tourism.
In addition, the Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) will speak on developing skilled manpower and advancing aviation technology to support Nigeria’s sports tourism ecosystem.
The conference aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which seeks to harness Nigeria’s tourism potential to stimulate economic growth through partnerships with sectors such as aviation and sports.
NASTOCE 2026 will focus on the theme “Leveraging on the Inter-Section of Multi-Sectoral MDAs to Promote Sports Tourism in Nigeria.” Organizers say the event will highlight the connectivity between sports and tourism while exploring the contributions of other government sectors to the development of the industry.
Speaking on the objectives of the conference, the Chairman of the National Organizing Committee, Ahmed Mohammed Sule, said the event aims to provide an annual platform for dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders.
According to him, the conference will allow various ministries and agencies to examine areas where they can collaborate with the sports and tourism sectors to unlock socio-economic opportunities for national development.
Other ministries expected to participate include the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, the National Sports Commission, the Federal Ministry of Interior, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Federal Ministry of Defence, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Federal Ministry of Transportation, among others.
Organizers say the conference will also feature an exhibition showcasing opportunities within Nigeria’s sports tourism value chain.