The Kogi Government is exploring digital technology, artificial intelligence and investment opportunities to transform its tourism sector and harness the state’s cultural and historical assets.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs Fatima Momoh, disclosed this on Sunday in Lokoja during an event to mark the 2026 World Tourism Day.
Momoh, represented by the Director of Tourism Development, Alhaji Tanko Inuwa, said technology had changed tourism promotion and service delivery.
She said the state was working to bring tourism and hospitality facilities into the digital space, enabling visitors to search for destinations and book hotels remotely.
Momoh said plans were also underway to develop Mount Patti into a major tourist hub, including a proposal to install a cable car. According to her, the site has historical, religious, social and economic significance, including its connection with the origin of the name “Nigeria.”
She said a Culture and Tourism Committee had been constituted to make Kogi a tourism hub and establish a unified cultural heritage festival.
The commissioner added that the state was working on a comprehensive tourism masterplan and policy to attract investors and strengthen capacity in the sector, while improved security remained essential to tourism development.
Also speaking, Mr Idowu Ibikunle, Chairman of the Kogi House of Assembly Committee on Culture and Tourism, said tourism was important to economic development through job creation, cultural promotion and peace building.
Ibikunle said Kogi had enormous tourism potential and called for increased investment in the sector. He assured that the assembly would provide legislative backing for policies capable of attracting private-sector investment and support the protection of culture, heritage and ecosystems.
Mr Philip Orebiyi, General Manager of the Kogi Hotels and Tourism Board, said the state had begun using digital platforms and artificial intelligence to promote tourism destinations.
He said the board was restoring colonial relics and other landmarks, including European cemeteries, while cultural festivals were also being digitalised.
Orebiyi said the board was profiling hotels across the state to assess their capacity, safety and compliance with required standards. He added that it was targeting youths with digital and creative skills to enable them participate in the tourism and creative industries.
He said Kogi’s position as a transit state presented an opportunity to develop activities that would encourage travellers to spend nights in Lokoja.
Orebiyi identified administrative bottlenecks and bureaucracy as some challenges facing the sector but said the board was exploring collaborations and local content to advance tourism.
A tourism stakeholder, Baba Ojonugwa, said Kogi had attractions including the Confluence, colonial landmarks and cemeteries capable of drawing visitors from across the country and beyond.
The event featured cultural performances and participation by cultural troupes, legal practitioners, ministry officials and representatives of the Council for Arts, among other stakeholders.
