
The 2024 Akwaaba African Travel Market on Sunday September 22, started in Lagos, amidst pomps and pageantry.
20th in the day I series, the annual event had Africans troop in en masse into the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the three-day travel fair.
With lots of exhibitors from different countries on the African continent, the 20th Akwaaba was declared open by a Ghanaian traditional king and lover of Tourism, Chief Okatachi Nana 1.
Along with him to carry out the ribbon cutting were other dignitaries at the ceremony, including the Convener of Akwaaba, Ambassador Ikechi Uko.
Uko while addressing the gathering went down memory lane to recount how an industry expert and the then Eko Hotel Managing Director urged him to embark on a journey of a travel market to showcase endowment of Africans.
He acknowledged the support of Eko Hotel in providing the venue right from the inception of Akwaaba in 2004 to date.
Inspired by this, Uko took the bull by the horn and has ever remained consistent despite challenges of various forms.
He recalled that the first Akwaaba had only two participating countries, Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe but that with consistency the premier travel expo has developed into an African tourism platform renowned globally, with a record participation of over 20 countries.
He said: “If we are celebrating 20 years, it’s 20 years with the Gambia, it’s 20 years with Ghana, it’s 20 years with local states, it’s 20 years with Cross River, and it’s 20 years with Eko Hotel and to my partners in the media it’s 20 years with them.”
Beyond the Eko Hotel management, the Travel Expert gave credit to relationships which have been a bedrock of the growth of Akwaaba.
“We have been supported by good people and the growth has brought us here today,” he remarked.
Uko was elated to announce that this was the first real Akwaaba African Travel Market after the 2020 COVID-19 when the fair held virtually, noting that subsequently the aftermath of the pandemic impacted negatively on the strength of the fair.

He also used the occasion to announce that starting from next year the three events organised by the Akwaaba team would be brought under one umbrella at the same venue of Eko Hotel.
His words: “This is the first real Akwaaba since after COVID. You know the last real Akwaaba we had was in 2019.
“By next year we’ll expand this space we’re standing. We’ll bring all our three events in Nigeria under one umbrella, under the roof of Eko Hotels; including the Aviacargo Conference.”
On his part, Nana while speaking commended Uko and his wife for sustaining Akwaaba for 20 years.
He noted that tourism is the key driver of any economy, saying that if it is done well as Ikechi is doing “we can use tourism to drive economies in Africa.”
The traditional king also harped on the need for networking and collaboration to develop countries on the African continent further. “Ghana and Nigeria are the best of brothers and sisters. Ghana and Nigeria are not enemies at all,” he enthused.
The atmosphere of the opening day of the 20th Akwaaba was electrified by a display from the Calabar carnival, while the highlight of the occasion was the jollof rice war, a contest among chefs in Nigeria.
Also part of the glamour of the day was the presence of tourism queens from 10 countries in Africa, dressed in their queenly regalia.
They were assigned to have a taste of the different jollof rice dishes, assess and choose a winner to be announced later.