Elizabeth Agboola Calls for Greater Public Understanding of Halal Economy at Inaugural National Workstream Meeting

Elizabeth Agboola, Founder of NTT Global Destinations and appointed Halal Tourism Expert on Nigeria’s National Halal Economy Strategy Implementation Committee, has called for stronger public sensitization and broader understanding of the halal economy as Nigeria advances implementation of its national halal strategy.

Agboola made the remarks during the inaugural meeting of Workstream 3: Capacity Development, Market Access & Trade Promotion, where stakeholders from government and private sector institutions gathered to discuss implementation priorities for the sector.

She expressed appreciation to the Secretariat for convening the session and thanked the Secretary to the Workstream, Mr. Aliyu Bunu Sheriff, SA to the President on Export Expansion, alongside the wider leadership team for their commitment to building a competitive halal economy for Nigeria.

Speaking during the meeting, Agboola emphasized that halal should be understood not narrowly, but as a global economic standard associated with ethics, quality assurance, hygiene, traceability, and consumer trust.

“There is an important need for sensitization across the country so more people understand that halal is not restricted to one faith group or one market. It is a globally recognized system that represents quality, standards, and opportunity,” she said.
She noted that several non-Muslim majority countries including Brazil, Japan, Thailand, and others have built strong halal export and tourism positions by recognizing the economic potential of the sector.

According to her, Nigeria is well placed to do the same by combining its strengths in agriculture, hospitality, culture, trade, and tourism.

Agboola further highlighted the potential of halal tourism as a growth area capable of attracting visitors, increasing hospitality revenues, strengthening exports, and creating jobs across connected industries.

“Nigeria has the opportunity to position its culture, cuisine, heritage, and hospitality assets for global halal tourism markets. Experiences such as the Durbar Festival and other cultural showcases can become compelling gateways for visitors from Jordan, the wider OIC community, and other international markets,” she added.
She also noted the opportunity for stronger collaboration between Nigeria and countries across the OIC through tourism, creative industries, cultural exchange, food festivals, and scalable partnerships that can deepen economic ties.

The National Halal Economy Strategy Implementation Committee was established to coordinate Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen exports, attract investment, improve standards, expand market access, and unlock economic value across multiple sectors within the global halal economy.

Agboola reaffirmed her commitment to supporting the committee’s objectives and contributing practical ideas that help position Nigeria as a credible and competitive player in the international halal marketplace.

About Elizabeth Agboola is Founder of NTT Global Destinations and a Tourism Strategist & Policy Advisor with interests spanning tourism diplomacy, market access, destination development, and cross-border partnerships. She is also an early private-sector advocate in the halal tourism space through halaltours.ng, launched in 2021.