An international tourism consulting firm specializing in travel, luxury, lifestyle, real estate, and sustainability, Kleber Group has unveiled plans to position Nigeria as Africa’s leading tourism hub.
This was announced during a press conference held at Johnwood Hotel, Abuja on Wednesday, 4th March, 2026.
Addressing journalists, the Chief Executive Officer, Kleber Group, Julia Kleber said the initiative focuses on reshaping Nigeria’s global image, attracting foreign direct investment and building capacity across the hospitality and tourism value chain.
She said the aims are to unlock the largely untapped opportunity in the tourism sector in Nigeria, creating jobs and boosting national revenue.
She said the initiative would leverage on the country’s rich cultural heritage, natural attractions and investment potential to drive the economic growth.
Kleber hinted that Africa as a whole is still very unexplored when it comes to tourism development, saying the industry has a huge potential in creating jobs and employment opportunities.
She stated further, “The image of Nigeria is something that we can work on, highly promote it, and educate the international market on what Nigeria is all about. Looking into all the different provinces and all the different cultures and all the different arts and music.”
She said that the group builds investor relations to bring product development, saying products need to be developed, demand needs to be driven.
Kleber said Nigeria possesses the core elements required to build a strong tourism sector through her rich culture, diverse landscapes, vibrant arts, music, cuisine and a welcoming population, yet remains largely underrepresented in the global tourism market.
“Since arriving on Sunday, I have been struck by the beauty of this country and the warmth of its people. Nigeria has extraordinary tourism opportunities, but these assets are still not fully visible on the global stage,” Kleber said.
Kleber noted that tourism is one of the most effective drivers of job creation and economic growth, with strong linkages to sectors such as aviation, agriculture, hospitality, energy and infrastructure.
“Africa remains largely unexplored from a tourism perspective, and Nigeria, in particular, has a huge opening. Tourism is a peaceful industry that creates jobs, attracts investment and stimulates wide economic activity,” she said.
She called for improved international perception of Nigeria through targeted promotion, market education and authentic storytelling that reflects the country’s heritage, culture and attractions.
According to her, sustainable tourism development requires a clear strategy focused on product development, investor engagement, infrastructure, training and capacity building for local communities and hospitality workers.
She stated that Nigeria must be firmly placed on the international tourism map and present it as an authentic and attractive destination for travellers and investors.
Using Angola as a case study, Kleber said strong public-private collaboration and deliberate tourism planning helped the country attract global attention and secure more than 450 million dollars in government investment for tourism infrastructure.
“This shows what can be achieved when tourism is treated as a viable economic sector. Nigeria has similar opportunities and even greater potential,” Kleber concluded.
Speaking earlier, Owoseni Samuel Olawale, the Lead Consultant of Sullam Travels and Tours, said that Kleber Group is a strategic partner, which is interested in investing in tourism to boost the economy of the country using tourism as a driving tool.
Olawale said that the initiative revolves around reshaping the country’s economy and then bringing in foreign direct investments.
Also speaking, Amb. Phil Roberts called for closer collaboration with the media to reshape Nigeria’s global tourism image, noting that negative narratives often overshadow the country’s tourism assets.
Roberts said “Several high-level engagements have been held since Kleber’s arrival, including meetings with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and Tourism, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the Presidential Villa, the Nigerian National Parks Service and other stakeholders”
“Further engagements are planned with the Presidency and we plan to organise a Tourism Investment Summit across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones because tourism development must reflect regional diversity”, Roberts added
“We will work closely with the media to project Nigeria’s tourism narrative,” he concluded.
In his remarks, Bonaventure Onuorah, the Chairman KU Worldwide, who also hosted Kleber Group, said that youths in Nigeria will be the greatest beneficiaries of the initiative when it comes into effect.
According to Jeffrey Adamadu, Special Assistant on NGO/Partnerships, Office of the First Lady of Rivers State said the initiative has the potential to create jobs at state level for the teeming Nigerian youth. (Credit: Agency Reports)
