The Federal Government has inaugurated the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Africa Tourism and Creative Economy Expo scheduled from November 24 to 25, 2025.
Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Mukhtar Yawale Muhammad, said the initiative is part of efforts to position Africa’s cultural, creative and tourism sectors as engines of economic growth, regional integration and global competitiveness.
He said the Expo, with the theme: “Optimizing Africa’s Comparative and Competitive Advantage for Accelerated Trade and Economic Growth,” will serve as a platform for policymakers, investors, innovators, and creators across the continent to deepen collaboration and drive new opportunities.
Muhammad charged the committee to deliver a world-class event that showcases the continent’s heritage and creative potential, emphasising the need for transparency, professionalism and strong stakeholder coordination.
Chairman of the LOC, Mallam Denja Abdullahi, pledged that the committee would deliver a high-impact Expo, revealing that the event will formally unveil “Agenda 2030”, a continental framework aimed at increasing Africa’s contribution to global trade from the current 2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2030 through targeted investments in tourism and the creative economy.
Abdullahi commended the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, for driving innovative, data-led reforms in the sector, saying the LOC had already begun engaging key government and private-sector stakeholders across the continent to secure full regional participation.
Activities lined up for the two-day Expo include exhibitions, trade fairs, investment workshops, cultural displays, business-to-business meetings and a peer review mechanism for African countries.
“As a committee, we are determined to deliver a measurable, scalable and impactful event that will not only celebrate Africa’s creative capacity but also boost intra-African trade under the AfCFTA framework,” Abdullahi stated.
The Ministry assured that it will continue to support the LOC throughout the planning and execution stages of the Expo, which is being organised in partnership with Afrocultour Nigeria Ltd.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has thrown her support behind the upcoming Africa Tourism and Creative Economy Expo (AFTCREE).
She urged African nations to leverage the opportunity provided by the upcoming event to harness their cultural and creative assets for accelerated trade and economic growth.
In a letter dated July 24, 2025, personally signed and sent to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Afrocultour, organisers of the high-profile Expo, Mr. Chuks Akamadu, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala wished the organisers a successful and impactful event.
She said: “The theme of this Expo, ‘Optimising Africa’s Comparative and Competitive Advantage for Accelerated Trade and Economic Growth’, is timely and highly relevant.
“Africa is immensely endowed with cultural and touristic opportunities. Now is the time to leverage these advantages to integrate more supply chains. At the WTO, we believe the future of trade lies in services.”
The WTO DG, who is former Nigeria’s Finance Minister, expressed appreciation for the invitation to speak at the event, saying: “I look forward to engaging in the future.”
