The President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Aliyu Badaki, has called on governments and other stakeholders across Africa to establish proper structures and policies capable of driving sustainable growth in the tourism industry.

Badaki regretted that the absence of a well-defined and coordinated structure remained one of the major factors responsible for the slow development of Nigeria’s tourism sector.
Delivering a goodwill message at the 22nd edition of the Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos, yesterday, Badaki maintained that Nigeria and other West African countries could not continue to adopt the same approach and expect different results.

The FTAN President said the industry required deliberate government intervention, effective policies and stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to unlock its enormous potential.

According to him, the Tourism Transformation Agenda was one of the key factors that propelled the current leadership of FTAN, with the association convinced that structural reforms were essential to repositioning the sector.

He noted that Nigeria and other African countries were endowed with enormous tourism attractions, adding that events such as Akwaaba had demonstrated the capacity of the continent to promote intra-African tourism, business networking and cultural exchange.

He said: “What we believe in is that where we are now in tourism in Nigeria is because of lack of proper structure. We cannot continue doing the same thing the same way and expect different results.

“Just organising an event for a year, you know what it means, but for one person to be doing this back-to-back and to be able to encourage the whole of West Africa to participate under one roof, we really appreciate this.”

As the umbrella body of private-sector tourism businesses in Nigeria, Badaki pledged FTAN’s continued support for Akwaaba and other initiatives aimed at promoting tourism in Nigeria, West Africa and the wider African continent.

Also speaking, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of The Gambia, Abdoulie Jobe, called for greater intra-African tourism, urging Nigerians to visit the country and experience its beaches, culture, heritage, wildlife, gastronomy and hospitality.

Jobe, who described The Gambia as the “Smiling Coast of Africa,” said Nigeria and The Gambia shared strong historical, cultural and people-to-people ties, which could be further strengthened through tourism.

The minister said tourism could provide a platform for businesses, investors and communities in both countries to deepen economic and cultural relationships.

He emphasised that The Gambia had come to Akwaaba with its tourism stakeholders to showcase the country’s attractions and explore partnerships with Nigerian tour operators, airlines, investors, hospitality businesses and players in the creative industry.

Jobe stressed the need for Africa to increasingly develop its own tourism marketplace by encouraging Africans to travel within the continent and discover its diverse destinations.

“Africa must increasingly become its own tourism marketplace. We must encourage citizens to travel across Africa, discover our diverse cultures and destinations, and build lasting relationships,” he said.

On her part, the Lagos State First Lady, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, in her welcome address, described Akwaaba as an important platform for promoting tourism, hospitality, culture and creativity in Nigeria and across Africa.

Sanwo-Olu said the travel market had successfully brought together operators, marketers, airlines, hotels and other stakeholders while exposing Nigerians to tourism opportunities across the continent.

She noted that tourism had evolved beyond conventional leisure travel to include sports tourism, medical tourism, food tourism, entertainment and business-related travel.
According to her, events such as Akwaaba offered Lagos an opportunity to showcase its potential as a destination for business, leisure, entertainment and investment.
“Our tourism and hospitality sector remains an important part of our identity, our economy and our global appeal,” she said.

Sanwo-Olu also commended the introduction of the Jollof Rice War at the event, describing it as a celebration of Africa’s culinary heritage, diversity and creativity.

She said food was not merely about nourishment, but also carried history, told stories, connected communities and created economic opportunities.

She assured that the Lagos State government would continue to support initiatives capable of strengthening the tourism and creative sectors, while commending the organisers of Akwaaba for sustaining the platform for more than two decades.

She also urged the organisers to sustain the culture of innovation by introducing new initiatives that would keep the travel market relevant and attractive in subsequent editions.