Manny Ita
The inaugural Conference on Cultural Diplomacy officially commenced on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Victoria Island, Lagos. The two-day landmark event, themed “Building Nations Through Cultural Diplomacy,” is organized by Zeelee Consult Limited in collaboration with the NIIA. It represents Nigeria’s first high-level platform dedicated to positioning the nation’s rich cultural heritage as a primary instrument for foreign policy, conflict resolution, and economic development.
Convened by Ambassador Zainab Mohammed, the conference has assembled a diverse group of policymakers, diplomats, traditional rulers, and private sector leaders to discuss the strategic deployment of Nigeria’s “soft power.” In her opening remarks, Ambassador Mohammed emphasized that culture remains an underutilized tool in Nigerian diplomacy. “The conference serves as a multi-stakeholder platform for policy dialogue and strategic collaboration,” she stated, noting that the goal is to leverage Nigeria’s global influence in music, art, and film to promote national unity and strengthen Africa’s global presence.
A significant portion of the agenda is dedicated to a “tourism shift,” with experts calling for a radical departure from traditional administrative structures. Analysts at the summit are advocating for the creation of a distinct national framework for religious and coastal tourism. They argue that these high-potential sub-sectors are currently “shackled” by being categorized merely as subsets of the broader arts and culture ministry. Experts contend that a dedicated policy framework would unlock massive revenue streams by formalizing pilgrimage logistics and developing Nigeria’s vast, under-tapped coastline into world-class eco-tourism destinations.
The conference is also exploring the role of traditional institutions in maintaining social cohesion. Royal fathers and custodians of heritage present at the event are participating in panels focused on “tangible and intangible heritage safeguarding.” These discussions aim to produce a formal communiqué with policy recommendations to integrate traditional mediation techniques into modern diplomatic frameworks, particularly for resolving regional conflicts within the West African sub-region.
The event, which concludes tomorrow, is expected to result in a strategic action plan that will be presented to the Federal Government. This document will outline how to better project Nigeria’s national identity through its creative industries while ensuring that cultural tourism becomes a sustainable pillar of the non-oil economy.
