The only international travel and tourism expo in West Africa, The Akwaaba African Travel Market (AfTM) extended its presence to Nairobi, Kenya, at one of the leading travel expos in Africa, the Magical Kenya Expo. It is one of the only West African exhibitors at MKTE alongside ASKY.
This participation will be Akwaaba African Travel Market’s first exhibition outside West Africa in its 21 years of existence. Akwaaba also organises Accra Weizo in Ghana. Akwaaba has attended many travel and tourism fairs around the world, but this will be its first as an exhibitor. Akwaaba has been to the biggest travel fairs in London, UK; ITB Berlin in Germany; ATM in Dubai, UAE; Travel Indaba in Durban, South Africa; Kilifair, Arusha in Tanzania; Sanganai Bulawayo in Zimbabwe; POATE in Kampala, Uganda; Weizo in Accra Ghana; MICE in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and others in Senegal, Spain and Algeria.
Choosing MKTE as its first exhibition is strategic and fits into the overall plan of Akwaaba as a pan African platform where “Africa meets the World”. According to Deborah Olukayode, who represented Akwaaba African Travel Market at MKTE 2025, “our experience here has encouraged us to attend other events across Africa. As a West African and Nigerian brand, we were shown a lot of love and given great attention by visitors to our stand. Our vision to connect Africa and Africans was reinforced at MKTE.”
According to Chinazam Ikech-Uko, who also worked at the stand, “we were very proud to represent Nigeria and West Africa. We brought our Jollof Rice game, and we blasted Afrobeats for 3 days here. We gave them some Lagos vibes and energy.”
Akwaaba African Travel Market is an annual travel and tourism event held in Lagos Nigeria for the past 21 years. The next edition is slated for the 13th to the 16th of September 2026. Akwaaba African Travel Market is famous for its annual Africa Travel 100 Awards, The Jollof Rice war, the Medical tourism Expo, the African Youth Bantaba, the African Tourism Conference and the Air Cargo CHINET Aviacargo conference.
It attracted the highest turnout of African Airlines at its last outing, bringing together 16 airlines. Akwaaba African Travel Market was founded in 2004 by Ikechi Uko, a great promoter of travel within Africa by Africans.
