The 21st Akwaaba African Travel Market opened on Sunday at Eko Hotels in Lagos, attracting tourism boards, travel experts, and industry leaders from across the continent.
Organised by Akwaaba Travel Market Ltd in partnership with Wakanow, Air Peace, Interswitch, Lagos State, and Gambia, the three-day expo is scheduled to run from September 14 to 18, 2025. It has drawn airlines, travel agents, tour operators, hospitality brands, content creators, and tourism boards from various African countries.
The opening day featured exhibitions, a ‘Jollof Rice War’ culinary contest, and an awards ceremony. Ten chefs competed, preparing a variety of jollof rice dishes such as asun, native, ofada, seafood, and coconut-infused options.
Convener of the event, Ikechi Uko, said the programme was carefully designed to deliver maximum value to more than 3,000 participants.
“Akwaaba, recognised as West Africa’s only international travel and exhibition and one of the largest in Africa, continues to play a pivotal role in promoting intra-African travel, trade and cultural exchange. This year’s edition promises to be historic as it will host the highest collection of airlines at any travel expo in Africa, reinforcing its position as a hub for aviation connectivity and partnerships in the continent,” he said.
Dr Abisoye Fagade, Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), congratulated Nigerian chef Hilda Baci on her recent feat of cooking the largest pot of jollof rice, describing the delicacy as Nigeria’s gift to the world.
He also announced plans by the institute to host the Guinness World Record attempt for the world’s longest dining table in December.
Jibola Abati, Founder of Taste of African Vibes and convener of the African Travel Content Creator Conference, emphasized the vital role of content creators in tourism promotion and encouraged government support for creatives.
“They have been using their resources to promote Nigeria. Material support and partnerships will encourage them to do more,” he said.
The event recognised achievements in tourism, honoring Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State as Tourism Governor of the Year and naming Ekiti State the Most Active Tourism State.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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