A new report assessing the state of tourism in Lagos has concluded that while Nigeria’s commercial capital has firmly established itself as West Africa’s entertainment and cultural powerhouse, it must significantly improve infrastructure, security, digital innovation and destination marketing to realise its ambition of becoming Africa’s leading smart tourism destination.

The findings are contained in the Lagos Smart Tourism Index 2025, an independent report authored by Dr Iyadunni Gbadebo and officially released today.

The report provides what the author describes as the first evidence-based benchmark for measuring Lagos’ progress towards becoming a world-class tourism destination. It evaluates the state’s performance across five pillars— Infrastructure, Security, Digital Engagement, Hospitality and Visitor Experience, and Destination Marketing.

Speaking on the release, Dr. Iyadunni Gbadebo, Director of Sales and Marketing at Eko Hotels & Suites, described the report as an important contribution to tourism policy and strategic planning in Lagos.

According to her, tourism can no longer be driven by ambition alone but must be guided by credible data, measurable outcomes, and continuous evaluation.

“For Lagos to compete with the world’s leading tourism destinations, we must first be honest about where we are today. This report celebrates our achievements while identifying the gaps we must close to unlock the full economic potential of tourism,” she said.

She noted that tourism has evolved into a major economic driver globally, creating employment, attracting investment, stimulating urban renewal and strengthening national identity.

“Lagos already possesses extraordinary cultural assets, a thriving creative economy and one of Africa’s most vibrant hospitality industries. The next stage is ensuring that infrastructure, security, digital services and destination marketing evolve at the same pace as our cultural influence,” she added.

Among its major findings, the report notes that Lagos has successfully emerged as West Africa’s entertainment capital, citing the economic impact of the annual Detty December festivities and the growing influence of Afrobeats, festivals, fashion and creative industries in attracting visitors from across the world.

However, the report argues that Lagos continues to face major constraints. Chief among them are international security perceptions, road congestion, incomplete transport infrastructure, fragmented destination marketing and the absence of comprehensive tourism data capable of supporting evidence-based decision-making.

The Index assigns Lagos scores across five key pillars, with Hospitality and Visitor Experience emerging as the city’s strongest area of performance, while Security and Infrastructure remain the areas requiring the most urgent intervention.

According to the authors, improving visitor confidence will require stronger collaboration between government, security agencies and private sector stakeholders.

The report recommends accelerating the extension of rail services to the international airport and the Lekki corridor, establishing a comprehensive tourist safety programme, strengthening digital tourism platforms, expanding professionally managed tour experiences, developing a unified Lagos tourism brand and creating a robust tourism data management system.

It also advocates year-round tourism programming that builds on the success of Detty December by creating signature festivals and cultural events throughout the calendar year.