ASABA, DELTA STATE – September 27, 2025 – Marking World Tourism Day 2025, the DATCH Festival has launched a bold Heritage Economy Strategy, positioning Delta State’s rich culture as the engine for a sustainable and inclusive economic transformation. The strategy sets ambitious, measurable goals to attract over 500,000 annual tourists, generate ₦25 billion in local economic activity, and create 60,000 new jobs by 2030.
Under the global theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation,” the initiative moves beyond traditional tourism metrics. It reimagines Delta’s diverse cultural heritage as a strategic asset to drive unity, peace, and climate resilience. The plan focuses on leveraging indigenous culture, eco-tourism, and creative enterprises to place communities and ecosystems at the center of growth.
“Our message is clear: heritage is not just for display, it is for development,” said Kelechi Freeman Ukadike, CEO of the DATCH Festival. “By embedding culture into our economy, we are creating jobs and showing that peace and unity are Delta’s most powerful attractions.”
The strategy’s key impact areas include:
· Economic Growth: Mobilizing ₦25 billion for heritage-driven enterprises and ₦120 billion in public-private partnerships.
· Job Creation: 60,000 new jobs in crafts, performance, and tourism, with 50% reserved for youth and women.
· Environmental Stewardship: Restoring 25 forests and 25 heritage waterways using indigenous knowledge.
Victor Wilkinson Agih, Convener of Culture Money Africa, endorsed the vision, stating, “With DATCH, Delta is proving that culture is not charity—it is capital. Every naira invested generates returns across peace, prosperity, and planet.”
The DATCH Festival’s strategy aligns with UN Sustainability principles, charting a new course for tourism as a permanent force for transformation in Delta State and across Africa.
