Lagos: The 21st edition of the Akwaaba African Travel Market commenced in Lagos on Sunday, bringing together tourism boards, travel practitioners, and industry stakeholders from across Africa for a comprehensive three-day expo.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the event is organized by Akwaaba Travel Market Ltd. in collaboration with Wakanow, Air Peace, Interswitch, Lagos State, and Gambia. The expo, which runs from September 14 to September 18, is set to be a meeting point for airlines, travel agents, tour operators, hospitality brands, content creators, and tourism boards from various African nations.
NAN reports that the expo began with exhibitions and included a culinary competition known as the ‘Jollof Rice War,’ along with an awards ceremony. The Jollof Rice War featured 10 chefs who explored different variations of jollof rice, including asun, native, ofada, seafood, and coconut-infused flavors.
The Convener, Ikechi Uko, stated that the event was meticulously curated to provide maximum value for the over 3,000 participants expected. He noted that Akwaaba, recognized as West Africa’s sole international travel and exhibition platform and one of the largest in Africa, continues to play a crucial role in enhancing intra-African travel, trade, and cultural exchange.
Dr. Abisoye Fagade, the Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), used the occasion to celebrate Nigerian Chef Hilda Baci for her achievement of cooking the largest pot of jollof rice, describing it as Nigeria’s gift to the world. He also announced that the institute plans to host an event for the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest dining table in December.
Jibola Abati, Founder of Taste of African Vibes, emphasized the importance of travel content creators in promoting destinations. As the Convener of the African Travel Content Creator Conference, Abati encouraged governments to collaborate with creatives to enhance the continent’s visibility, highlighting that material support and partnerships would enable them to continue their promotional efforts.
NAN further reports that Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti was honored with ‘The Tourism Governor of the Year’ award, while Ekiti State was recognized as the ‘Most Active Tourism State’.