AKWAABA African Travel Market Opens in Lagos with Continental Pride
Lagos was awash with colour, culture and a carnival-like atmosphere on Sunday as the 21st edition of the AKWAABA African Travel Market opened its doors, reaffirming its position as the continent’s foremost tourism and hospitality expo.
The prestigious event drew delegates, exhibitors, and government representatives from across Africa, transforming Nigeria’s commercial capital into a hub of continental collaboration.
What began in 2003 as a bold and, at the time, ridiculed dream of promoting Africa to Africans has blossomed into a flagship event. Today, AKWAABA is not only a marketplace but also a movement, uniting nations from Kenya to Zimbabwe, Tanzania to Uganda, Zambia to Ghana, and South Africa to Rwanda, alongside Nigerian states such as Lagos, Ekiti, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom.
Convener and visionary behind the project, Ambassador Ikechi Uko, recalled the struggles of AKWAABA’s early years. Addressing participants during the opening ceremony, he narrated how sceptics dismissed his concept of creating a platform for Africans to sell Africa to themselves.
“I was attending World Travel Markets in London, and I found out that all of us had to go to London to sell Africa. I asked myself, why can’t we get Africans to sell Africa in Africa?” he said. “When we started in 2003, Africans never travelled to Africa. It took like five years before Kenya and Zimbabwe caught the vision.”
More than two decades later, that vision has come alive. With Africans now ranked as the biggest travellers within Africa, tourism on the continent is no longer an afterthought but an industry in full bloom. “If we could get 500 million Africans to travel within Africa, imagine the impact,” Ambassador Uko noted, highlighting the transformative potential of intra-African tourism.
Delivering a keynote address, Dr Abisoye Fagade, Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, stressed the importance of raising standards across the industry.
“From hotels to restaurants, from stores and operators to event managers, we must upgrade to globally recognised standards to inspire confidence, attract investment, and guarantee quality,” he told participants. “When every participant is properly regulated, we build a strong international reputation and a credible, competitive ecosystem.”
Dr Fagade urged African nations to use AKWAABA as a springboard for speaking with one voice in global tourism, calling for deeper cooperation that would not only enhance hospitality offerings but also secure the continent’s place in the global tourism economy.
Adding spice – literally and figuratively – to the opening day was a vibrant “Best Jollof Rice” competition, which drew nine contestants and electrified the hall with culinary excitement. After several rounds of tasting and deliberation, five winners emerged: one overall champion, a runner-up, and three contestants tied in third place.
The contest celebrated one of West Africa’s most iconic dishes while showcasing how food can drive cultural tourism. Guests cheered, laughed, and argued good-naturedly over whose Jollof was superior, underscoring the shared heritage that binds Africans across borders.
Over the years, AKWAABA has weathered scepticism, financial constraints and cultural barriers to become indispensable for Africa’s travel and tourism ecosystem. Airlines, hotels, tour operators, and governments now use the platform to showcase destinations, forge partnerships, and explore new investments.
Domestic and regional tourism, already on the rise, has been a recurring theme. In Nigeria, for instance, bus companies now record higher passenger traffic than some airlines – a clear sign that intra-African mobility is expanding in new directions. AKWAABA continues to serve as a barometer of this evolving landscape.
Ambassador Uko struck an optimistic note about the years ahead: “Africa can be great, and Africa can be big, if we believe in ourselves. Every billionaire in Nigeria made their wealth here, without foreign inputs. Imagine if we replicate that across our countries through tourism.”
The 21st AKWAABA African Travel Market promises a rich calendar of activities, from panel discussions on innovation and sustainability to exhibitions and networking sessions designed to strengthen intra-African ties.
With over two decades of growth behind it, the fair has firmly established itself as more than just an event – it is a celebration of Africa by Africans, for Africans.
As Lagos plays host, the city itself embodies the essence of AKWAABA: vibrant, resilient, and unapologetically African.
