By Esther Olamide
The Federal Government has partnered with MTN Nigeria to officially launch MyCityApp, a nationwide smart city digital platform designed to connect government services, businesses, and citizens within a single integrated ecosystem.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, described the initiative as a bold national step toward economic diversification, digital inclusion and cultural repositioning.
She stated that the launch represented more than the introduction of a mobile application. According to her, it represents a comprehensive vision where technology meets tourism, where government services become easily accessible to citizens and where businesses operate within smarter, safer and more connected cities.
Musawa explained that the platform aligns directly with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who created the Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy as part of a broader strategy to diversify Nigeria’s economy beyond oil.
Tourism Reimagined Through Technology
The Minister stated that tourism in the modern world is no longer limited to physical destinations but is now defined by experience, safety, accessibility and information. She explained that when travellers arrive in a new country, the first thing they reach for is their mobile phone. She emphasised that Nigeria must therefore ensure that its culture, tourism offerings and public services are digitally accessible.
According to her, Nigeria’s strongest brand is its culture and creativity. She said that visitors are drawn not only by destinations but by the country’s music, festivals, fashion, art and diverse heritage. She added that MyCityapp transforms a smartphone into what she described as a “smart urban companion,” providing reliable information and empowering users with knowledge that enhances safety and confidence.
She further noted that the platform will help showcase Nigeria’s diverse landscapes across its regions and promote domestic tourism in states such as Lagos, Kano and others across the federation.
Features of the MyCityapp Platform
Musawa explained that MyCityapp integrates city services, tourism experiences and business visibility into one unified digital platform. She stated that users will be able to discover verified businesses, locate restaurants and hotels, explore cultural festivals and access essential government services.
She also explained that the platform provides real-time updates on events, navigation tools for transportation, emergency alerts, housing and job information and secure digital payment options. According to her, the app is designed to bridge the gap between government institutions, the private sector and citizens.
Creative Economy as a Growth Engine
The Minister highlighted the importance of the creative economy as a major driver of inclusive growth. She explained that the sector allows Nigerians to participate economically through content creation, art, film, music, fashion and digital innovation.
She revealed that the Ministry is finalising key copyright and intellectual property reforms to strengthen protections for Nigerian creators. She stated that Nigeria can learn from countries such as South Korea and Brazil, which have successfully leveraged their creative industries for economic expansion.
According to her, the creative economy has the potential to create millions of jobs and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product by 2030.
MTN Nigeria as Technical Partner
The digital backbone of the platform is being powered by MTN Nigeria. Speaking at the unvelling Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, was represented at the event by the General Manager of Regional Operations, North West (Sales and Distribution), ThankGod Otorkpa.
Otorkpa stated that the platform places government and economic opportunities directly in the hands of citizens, whether they are in a corporate office in Abuja or in a marketplace in Kano. He emphasised that the initiative will drive inclusion by integrating businesses and services into one accessible digital environment, ensuring that no small business remains invisible and no citizen is left behind.
Also speaking at the event, the General Manager of Architecture and Engineering, Information Technology at MTN Nigeria, Bukola Ajayi, explained the technical structure of the platform.Ajayi stated that the system is built on cloud-native architecture supported by microservices technology. She explained that the platform integrates government and enterprise systems through secure application programming interfaces and incorporates end-to-end data encryption to guarantee user privacy and security. She further stated that the system features role-based access control, enterprise compliance standards and offline functionality for users in low network areas. According to her, the platform is designed to scale from millions to potentially over 200 million users with 99.9 percent reliability as it expands across all 36 states of the federation.
Economic and Social Impact
Officials at the launch disclosed that the broader digital tourism and creative economy strategy aims to contribute up to 100 billion dollars to Nigeria’s economy by 2030 and generate between two and five million jobs. Musawa emphasised that tourism development also plays a role in strengthening security. She explained that when communities are economically engaged through tourism initiatives, they develop a sense of ownership and are more likely to protect and sustain those environments.
She concluded by stating that Nigeria’s global narrative must evolve to reflect its strengths in culture, creativity and resilience rather than focusing solely on its challenges. The unveiling of MyCityApp marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey. If successfully implemented, the platform could redefine how citizens interact with government, how businesses reach customers and how tourists experience Nigeria’s cultural richness.
According to stakeholders present at the launch, the future of Nigeria’s tourism and creative economy will depend on sustained collaboration between government institutions, private sector partners and citizens, but the foundation for a digitally connected nation has now been laid