A former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has emphasized how strategic communication was deployed during his tenure to promote Nigeria’s culture and tourism, repositioning the sectors as key drivers of national development.
A statement by Head of Strategic Communications
Lai Mohammed’s Media Office, Nnamdi Atupulazi, noted that Alhaji Mohammed made the remarks on Wednesday while donating copies of his book, Headlines & Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration, to the University of Ilorin in Kwara state.
He explained that the Ministry deliberately leveraged communication to place Nigeria’s cultural heritage and tourism potential at the forefront of both national and international discourse.
Routine official engagements, he said, were transformed into high-impact media events by attending major festivals and touring key tourist destinations with teams of journalists, generating sustained visibility for Nigeria’s cultural assets.
According to Alhaji Mohammed, this strategy amplified festivals such as the Argungu International Fishing Festival, the Osun-Osogbo Festival, and the CalabarCarnival, turning them into platforms for economic promotion, national pride and global storytelling.
The former Minister noted that visits to cultural and tourism sites, including the Owu Waterfalls in Kwara state, as well as institutions like the National Theatre, Lagos, and the National Museum, Onikan, were carefully curated to showcase Nigeria’s tourism potential.
He added that the introduction of the National Festival Calendar brought structure and predictability to cultural events, making them more attractive to tourists and investors.
“Partnerships with organizations such as the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the British Council also helped build the capacity of festival managers across the country,” he said.
At the international level, Alhaji Mohammed highlighted Nigeria’s participation in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which projected the country’s culture to a global audience and reinforced the message that Nigeria’s true wealth lies in its people, traditions and creativity.
“These initiatives demonstrate how purposeful and consistent communication can transform culture into a powerful instrument for economic diversification and national identity,” he said.
Speaking on the book donation, the former Minister explained that the gesture is part of a broader initiative to support scholarship and encourage reading among Nigerian students.
Following the launch of the book in Abuja on December 17, 2025, he said he resolved to donate copies free of charge to selected tertiary institutions across the country through the Reading Sessions Project. The University of Ilorin is the fifth beneficiary, following Yaba College of Technology, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, University of Abuja and Al-Hikmah University.
Alhaji Mohammed described Headlines & Soundbites as a first-hand account of governance and a reflection on the role of communication in nation-building, drawing from his nearly eight-year tenure as Minister of Information and Culture.
He said he wrote the book to preserve an accurate historical record and provide context often missing from public discourse, emphasizing that no government succeeds without effective communication and no history is complete until it is told by those who lived it.
He thanked the authorities of the University of Ilorin for accepting the donation and expressed hope that the book would enrich scholarship and strengthen critical thinking among students.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, commended the donation, describing it as a bridge between academic theory and practical governance.
Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. MuktarAdeiza Ekundaye, he noted that the book would enrich students’ understanding by exposing them to real-life governance experiences not readily available in textbooks.
“This donation will greatly benefit our students, as it provides insights they may not get from conventional classroom teaching,” he said.
Also speaking, the University Librarian, Prof. Tunde Omopupa, lauded the former Minister for the gesture, noting that the book would enhance research and intellectual engagement within the institution.
He highlighted that the publication covers diverse areas including politics, economy, defence, and social issues, making it a valuable addition to the university’s library resources, and encouraged students and researchers to explore it for a deeper understanding of governance and strategic communication.
The event was well attended by members of the university community, including students, staff and other stakeholders.
