More than 300 aviation, tourism, finance and investment leaders from across Africa and beyond are expected to converge in Lagos from 2–4 September 2026 for AeroWest 2026, a major new platform focused on unlocking the economic potential of aviation and tourism in West and Central Africa.
Convened by the West Africa Tourism Organisation (WATO) and Jet Afrique Aviation Services, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria and regional and international aviation, tourism, finance and investment stakeholders, the summit will be held under the theme: “Financing Connectivity: Unlocking Aviation & Tourism Growth in West & Central Africa.”
AeroWest 2026 comes at a critical time for the region, where inadequate air connectivity, high travel costs, limited access to aircraft financing, infrastructure constraints, foreign exchange challenges and fragmented regional markets continue to limit the growth of aviation and tourism.
The summit seeks to move the conversation beyond identifying challenges towards developing practical financing mechanisms, commercial partnerships and investment opportunities capable of delivering measurable improvements in regional connectivity.
AeroWest will bring together airline executives, tourism ministers and destination marketing organisations, airport operators, development finance institutions, commercial banks, investors, aircraft leasing and insurance companies, tour operators, hospitality businesses, online travel platforms and other private-sector stakeholders.
The summit will examine how stronger cooperation between these sectors can create a more integrated travel ecosystem in which air connectivity drives tourism, tourism stimulates demand for aviation, and investment supports both sectors.
Ms Ola Wright, Chief Executive Officer of WATO, said: “West and Central Africa has no shortage of tourism assets, cultural heritage, investment opportunities or entrepreneurial talent. What we continue to lack is sufficient connectivity to link these assets to one another and to the global marketplace. AeroWest is designed to bring the people who can finance, operate, regulate and market that connectivity into the same room to develop practical solutions.
We want AeroWest to become more than another conference. We want it to become a platform where airlines find partners, destinations find markets, investors find bankable projects, and governments find practical solutions. Connectivity must become an economic strategy, not simply an aviation objective.”
A central focus of AeroWest 2026 will be the financing of aviation and tourism infrastructure and assets. Sessions will explore aircraft acquisition and leasing, aviation insurance, airport infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, development finance, private investment, public-private partnerships and innovative financing structures capable of unlocking projects that are currently constrained by access to capital.
The summit will also provide opportunities for B2B engagement, investment conversations, strategic partnerships and destination promotion, enabling participating organisations to move from networking towards commercially meaningful relationships.
AeroWest 2026 will highlight tourism as a major contributor to employment, foreign exchange earnings, entrepreneurship, cultural exchange and regional economic development.
Tourism destinations and private-sector stakeholders will have opportunities to showcase their products and investment propositions while engaging with airlines and travel trade partners capable of increasing visitor flows.
The summit will also examine how West African countries can move beyond competing individually for international visitors and instead develop multi-destination tourism circuits that encourage travellers to explore several destinations within the region.
One of the distinctive features of AeroWest 2026 will be the formal introduction of the Caribbean–West Africa Tourism Corridor into the programme.
For the first time at a major West African aviation and tourism forum, the shared cultural, historical and diaspora connections between West Africa and the Caribbean will be examined from both a tourism and commercial perspective.
For the first time at a major West African aviation and tourism forum, the shared cultural, historical and diaspora connections between West Africa and the Caribbean will be examined from both a tourism and commercial perspective.
AeroWest 2026 is expected to feature senior government officials, aviation and tourism executives, financial institutions, investors and destination leaders.
Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, will deliver the keynote address and officially declare the summit open.
Other invited and participating speakers and stakeholders include senior representatives from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone, Mali Tourisme, Guinea Bissau Tourism, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Nigerian state tourism authorities, leading airlines, hospitality companies, financial institutions, aviation and tourism investors, and international tourism organisations, among others.
The summit will also feature private-sector voices from the travel, hospitality, destination development, experiential design and investment communities.
The organisers believe that the future of African tourism depends substantially on the ability of the region to improve the movement of people.
AeroWest will therefore challenge stakeholders to consider aviation not merely as a transport sector but as critical economic infrastructure supporting tourism, trade, investment, employment and regional integration.
The summit will also consider the role of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader regional integration efforts in facilitating the movement of people, capital and businesses.
Mr Theodore Chikelu, CEO of Jet Afrique Aviation Services, said: “West and Central Africa’s connectivity challenge cannot be solved by airlines alone. It requires a coordinated approach involving governments, financial institutions, investors, tourism stakeholders and the aviation industry. AeroWest 2026 is designed to bring these decision-makers together to move beyond discussion and develop practical partnerships and financing solutions that can strengthen regional connectivity, stimulate travel and unlock new economic opportunities.”
AeroWest 2026 is a two-day aviation and tourism summit taking place in Lagos, Nigeria, on 2–3 September 2026, followed by a post-conference tourism programme on 4 September.
The summit is hosted by Jet Afrique Aviation Services and the West Africa Tourism Organisation (WATO), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria and regional and international stakeholders across aviation, tourism, finance and investment.
AeroWest is designed to create a high-level platform for policy dialogue, investment, business networking, destination marketing and strategic partnerships aimed at strengthening aviation connectivity and unlocking tourism growth across West and Central Africa.
