The 21st Akwaaba African Travel Market opened in Lagos on Sunday, attracting tourism boards, travel experts, and industry stakeholders from across Africa.
The three-day event is organized by Akwaaba Travel Market Ltd. in partnership with Wakanow, Air Peace, Interswitch, Lagos State, and The Gambia.
The expo, which runs from September 14 to 18, brings together airlines, travel agents, tour operators, hospitality brands, tourism boards, and content creators from across the continent.
The opening featured exhibitions, a culinary competition tagged the “Jollof Rice War”, and an awards ceremony.
In the jollof rice contest, 10 chefs prepared different varieties of the dish, including asun jollof, native style, ofada, seafood, and coconut-infused jollof.
The convener, Ikechi Uko, said the programme was carefully designed to give value to over 3,000 participants expected at the event.
“Akwaaba is West Africa’s only international travel and exhibition fair, and one of the largest in Africa. It plays a key role in boosting travel, trade, and cultural exchange across the continent,” Uko said.
He added that this year’s edition would be historic as it is hosting the largest number of airlines ever at an African travel expo, reinforcing its role as a hub for aviation connectivity and partnerships.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Dr. Abisoye Fagade, congratulated Nigerian chef Hilda Baci on her record-breaking feat of cooking the world’s largest pot of jollof rice. He described jollof as Nigeria’s gift to the world.
Fagade also revealed that the institute plans to host an event in December for the Guinness World Record attempt at the world’s longest dining table.
The Founder of Taste of African Vibes, Jibola Abati, emphasized the role of travel content creators in showcasing destinations.
Abati, who also convenes the African Travel Content Creator Conference, called on governments to partner with creatives to boost Africa’s visibility.
“They have been promoting Nigeria with their own resources. Support and partnerships will help them do even more,” he said.
At the awards ceremony, Ekiti State Governor Abiodun Oyebanji was named “Tourism Governor of the Year”, while the state received the award for the “Most Active Tourism State.”
