Nigeria’s Top Tourism Destinations Take Center Stage At Akwaaba

Published on September 16, 2025

Akwaaba 2025, nan 21st version of nan continent’s flagship recreation and tourism market, convened starring stakeholders from Nigeria’s move tourism industry, highlighting flagship destinations specified arsenic Lagos, Ekiti, and Cross River. The edition, undergirded by strategical partnerships pinch nan Lagos State Government, Air Peace, and an array of different manufacture actors, reinforced its instruction to showcase Africa’s immense recreation imaginable and nan escalating appetite for intra-regional travel.

The Opening Ceremony, an engaging preface to nan three-day agenda, oriented delegates toward nan expansive committedness of Africa’s recreation economy. The 2025 version underscored nan imperative of African stewardship complete nan continent’s tourism narrative, featuring not only nan rich | taste and ecological assets of its constituent states but besides nan airlines, hospitality ventures, and trade enterprises that collectively represent nan recreation ecosystem.

Cross River, a perennial favourite among travellers, was celebrated for its successful integration of eco-adventure and taste tourism. The state’s captivating biodiversity is epitomised successful nan Cross River National Park, a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve tailored for discerning escapade seekers. Nearby, nan yearly Calabar Carnival transforms nan superior into a kaleidoscope of colours, music, and dance, encapsulating nan state’s committedness to showcasing its surviving taste heritage. Calabar’s historical Slave History Museum and nan atmospheric Old Residency besides proceed to tie historians and wide travellers alike, adding layers of extent to nan state’s reputation. Collectively, nan spotlighting of Lagos, Ekiti, and Cross River underscores Nigeria’s divers tourism offerings, celebrating some taste extent and hospitality.

Cross River, celebrated for its verdant terrain and rich | taste heritage, continues to rank arsenic an basal recreation hub, a truth underscored astatine nan caller event. Hosting Nigeria’s largest taste pageant, nan Calabar Carnival, nan authorities welcomes countless visitors annually, fusing pulsating rhythms, stirring dance, and exquisite ocular arts successful a azygous experience. Beyond nan municipality spectacle, earthy jewels specified arsenic nan Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary and nan Tinapa Business Resort tie some eco-tourists successful hunt of pristine biodiversity and business executives seeking venue accommodation successful a unsocial setting.

Ibom Air: Expanding Access to Nigeria’s Tourism Highlights

Ibom Air, nan latest aviation contender successful Nigeria, secured nan “Best Airline” title astatine Akwaaba 2025 successful nickname of its decisive domiciled successful ferrying visitors to nan nation’s premier attractions. Based successful nan superior metropolis of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, nan bearer has importantly enhanced nan routes to and from strategical markets, including Calabar, Lagos, and Abuja. By inaugurating dependable and convenient formation connections, Ibom Air broadens nan recreation options for visitors eager to acquisition Nigeria’s wide spectrum of cultural, natural, and economical offerings, thereby reinforcing nan competitiveness of nan nationalist tourism sector.

Ibom Air’s accelerated description exemplifies really homegrown carriers are progressively becoming catalysts for tourism by opening up antecedently neglected routes. The summation of much regular and play departures allows visitors to scope nan country’s northern, southern, and cardinal corridors pinch singular ease, thereby strengthening tourism infrastructure and affording guests speedy links to pivotal attractions passim Nigeria.

Highlights of nan Akwaaba 2025 listing see nan integration of an creator showcase alongside strategical hose and tourism development. The legendary Calabar Carnival troupe returned to nan superior without haste, their surging movement, exquisitely beaded garments and reverberating drums recalling nan vivid medley of Nigeria’s ancestral narration. Performers reminded nan assemblage of nan country’s enduring custom, an plus progressively magnetising overseas scholars, financiers, and visitors.

Equally compelling, nan continent’s gastronomes converged for nan yearly Jollof Rice War, an affectionate face-off successful which style, talent, and secrecy collided. The artists—emerging from Akwa, Lagos, and beyond—flicked, stirred, steamed, and plated Nigeria’s cherished atom delicacy to nan inspection of a discerning audience. The eventual acclaim rested pinch nan Eko Hotel head, who abstracted nan crown for originality without haste. Moments later, nan gathered crowd heard reels of culinary practice crystallising successful hearty raillery, a Schmidt kernel for scholars of nutrient tourism.

Tourism is steadily solidifying its position arsenic a pillar of economical diversification successful Nigeria. Visionary states for illustration Lagos, Ekiti, and Cross River are spearheading this shift, attracting some section entrepreneurs and overseas capital. High-ranking officials, specified arsenic Dr. Abisoye Fagade of nan National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), consistently reaffirm that nan assemblage promises multifaceted benefits, including important occupation creation, accelerated infrastructure development, and important foreign-exchange gains.

A clear upward trajectory successful home tourism underscores Nigeria’s latent capacity. Increasing numbers of citizens are discovering nan country’s singular assets, from pristine beaches and colourful taste festivals to pristine eco-tourism sites. The caller Akwaaba 2025 waste and acquisition adjacent provided a forum for manufacture leaders and advocates to align strategies, speech champion practices and amplify Nigeria’s image arsenic nan premier African tourer prize.

Partnerships and Future Growth

Akwaaba 2025 showcased nan pivotal domiciled that collaborative frameworks will play successful expanding pan-African tourism. Sustained engagement by strategical assemblage actors—including Air Peace, Wakanow, and Interswitch—illustrated really synergistic linkages among nationalist authorities, carriers, and commercialized enterprises tin propel Nigeria’s tourism trajectory. Continuing commitments to infrastructural enhancement, targeted marketing, and elevated work standards stay captious for positioning Nigeria arsenic a formidable competitor wrong nan world tourism arena.

Comprehensive destination intelligence connected Nigeria is disposable done charismatic governmental portals specified arsenic nan Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, accessible astatine www.ntdc.gov.ng.

Akwaaba 2025 closed connected an upbeat note, reinforcing nan continent’s resoluteness to cultivate its tourism manufacture done indigenous ownership and cooperative governance. With Lagos, Ekiti, and Ibom Air astatine nan forefront, Nigeria’s tourism assemblage is primed for accelerated and sustainable advancement successful nan decade ahead.