–as Ghana’s deputy tourism Minister advocates stronger Nigeria-Ghana tourism partnership

Funso OLOJO, Editor

Safari Valley Eco Resort in Dawu, Ghana’s Eastern Region, is intensifying efforts to attract more Nigerian tourists following the conclusion of a five-day familiarisation tour and executive retreat by the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA).

The visit culminated in an executive dinner held on Tuesday, July 21st, at Safari Valley Eco Resort, where tourism stakeholders from Nigeria and Ghana reaffirmed their commitment to promoting intra-African travel and deepening cross-border tourism partnerships.

A major highlight of the retreat was NANTA’s engagement with key players in Ghana’s tourism industry, giving the Nigerian delegation first-hand experience of the country’s tourism offerings while exploring opportunities to develop attractive travel packages for Nigerian travellers.

Ghana Seeks Stronger Tourism Collaboration

Addressing participants, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Tourism called for closer collaboration between Nigeria and Ghana, urging both countries to leverage their shared history, cultural affinity and longstanding relationship to stimulate tourism growth.

The minister noted that Nigeria remains one of Ghana’s most strategic tourism source markets, a position consistently reinforced by the Ghana Tourism Authority through initiatives aimed at attracting more Nigerian visitors.

Participants also echoed calls for African countries to reduce travel barriers and ease cross-border movement to unlock the continent’s enormous tourism and economic potential.

Safari World Showcases West African Tourism Vision

Hosting the Nigerian delegation was Safari World, the parent company of Safari Valley Eco Resort, founded by renowned forest scientist and conservationist Samuel Afari.

Speaking during the engagement, Afari described the visit as a significant milestone in advancing the vision of an integrated West African tourism market.

“We at Safari World are very excited to welcome our Nigerian colleagues from NANTA.

“Throughout our discussions with the association, particularly with its President, Dr. Yinka Folami, it has been encouraging to see that ‘Africa for Africa’ remains a shared agenda for both parties,” he said.

He added that the visit provides an opportunity to transform that shared vision into practical partnerships while strengthening the enduring brotherly relationship between Nigeria and Ghana.

“We look forward to welcoming more Nigerian visitors and showcasing authentic Ghanaian hospitality and leisure—the Safari World way,” Afari said.

Speaking passionately about his investment, Afari highlighted the role Nigerians have played in transforming business opportunities across Africa.

He described Safari Valley as the fulfilment of a vision centred on conservation, eco-tourism and nature-based experiences, adding that the resort also seeks to unlock the immense potential of maritime and leisure tourism in the sub-region.

Building a Multi-Destination Tourism Brand

Safari World is steadily positioning itself as one of Ghana’s most diversified tourism brands through its integrated city, riverfront and forest destinations.

Its tourism portfolio spans Accra, Ada and Dawu, offering visitors a blend of eco-tourism, hospitality, leisure and cultural experiences tailored to both domestic and international markets, with Nigeria identified as a priority market.

NANTA President, Dr. Yinka Folami, who led the Nigerian delegation, said the association would encourage host destinations to stage its conferences for at least two consecutive years to deepen partnerships and maximise tourism and business opportunities.
Expanding Opportunities for Nigerian Travellers.

The collaboration is expected to open up new travel packages for Nigerian tourists, particularly in eco-tourism, coastal tourism and community-based experiences.

Driven largely by private sector partnerships and supported by government efforts to strengthen regional tourism, the initiative is expected to enhance travel exchanges between the two countries.

Safari Valley’s renewed focus on the Nigerian market comes at a time when tourism stakeholders across West Africa are advocating easier visa processes, stronger regional cooperation and policies that will accelerate the growth of Africa’s tourism economy.

Gloria Odion, Reporter

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has commenced a seven-day executive retreat and familiarisation (fam) trip to Ghana, hosted by Safari World, as part of efforts to strengthen regional tourism partnerships and expand cross-border travel opportunities.

The NANTA delegation was received at Safari World Homes in Accra by the Chairman of the Safari World Group, Mr. Ernest Gyekye, who expressed delight at hosting the Nigerian travel trade leaders.

He assured the delegation of a memorable experience throughout their week-long stay.

Speaking on the significance of the visit, NANTA President, Mr. Yinka Folami, described the retreat and familiarisation tour as a strategic initiative aimed at fostering stronger business relationships and promoting collaborative tourism development across Africa.

“This mission is not a leisure trip,” Folami said. “It is a deliberate step to implement and expand our association’s marketing advocacy for Nigerian brands across borders.”

He noted that Nigeria and Ghana share deep historical, cultural and commercial ties that should be leveraged to drive tourism growth on the continent.

“Nigeria and Ghana share history, culture, trade and people. The future of our tourism cannot be built in silos,” he said.

“This retreat is about moving from policy to practice—creating real products, real partnerships and real movement of travellers between Accra and Lagos.”

As part of the programme, the NANTA executives will engage in strategic business-to-business (B2B) meetings with their Ghanaian counterparts, tour key tourism destinations under the Safari World brand, and participate in cultural exchange activities designed to promote stronger bilateral tourism cooperation.

The itinerary spans Safari World’s three flagship destinations, including Safari Homes in Accra, the Aqua Safari riverfront experience, Safari Island Cruise, Safari Nautica, and Safari Recreation and Sports facilities in Ada, as well as the Safari Valley Eco Resort and Safari Eco Park in Dawu.

Operating under the brand promise, “One World, Three Destinations, Over 20 Unique Experiences,” Safari World is leveraging the visit to strengthen its footprint in the Nigerian travel market while positioning Ghana as a premier destination for leisure tourism, conferences, group travel, family holidays and premium tourism experiences.

A major highlight of the visit will be the Executive Dinner scheduled for July 21 at the Safari Valley Eco Resort, where key stakeholders from Nigeria and Ghana’s tourism industries will deliberate on strategies for deepening travel trade and advancing regional tourism development.

The familiarisation tour is expected to provide NANTA’s leadership with first-hand knowledge of Safari World’s tourism offerings, paving the way for the development of attractive travel packages and stronger business partnerships that will benefit Nigerian travellers and the wider West African tourism industry.

Funso OLOJO, Editor

Leading academics, industry practitioners, professional bodies, regulators and other stakeholders have called for the adoption of a hybrid professional governance framework that combines statutory regulation with professional recognition to strengthen Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality workforce.

The recommendation emerged at the NIHOTOUR Stakeholder Engagement Forum held on Wednesday, July 15th, 2026, where participants agreed that closer collaboration between regulators, professional associations and academic institutions is essential to building a globally competitive tourism industry.

Welcoming participants, the Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare Abisoye Fagade, stressed that developing a world-class workforce requires strong partnerships among government, academia and the private sector.

The forum featured a keynote presentation by Professor Wasiu Babalola, Professor of Hotel Management and Tourism at Atiba University, Oyo, legal practitioner and PhD candidate at the Faculty of Law, Lead City University, Ibadan.

His paper, titled “Strategic Roles of Industry Associations and Professional Bodies in Workforce Registration, Certification, Licensing and Sustainable Human Capital Development,” drew from his ongoing doctoral research, “Professional Recognition by Professional Practice: A Viable Alternative for Nigerian Tourism and Hospitality Professional Stability.”

Professor Babalola argued that although the NIHOTOUR Act 2022 represents a significant milestone in the professionalisation of Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality sector, legislation alone cannot guarantee long-term professional stability.

According to him, sustainable growth can only be achieved through effective collaboration between statutory institutions and recognised professional bodies operating within clearly defined responsibilities.

He observed that the industry continues to grapple with fragmented regulation, overlapping institutional mandates, inconsistent certification processes, weak professional identity and inadequate workforce data.

Rather than fostering competition among institutions, he said these challenges require a collaborative governance structure that clearly assigns responsibilities while promoting synergy.

Drawing lessons from established professions such as law, medicine, engineering, architecture and accounting, Professor Babalola explained that successful professional systems operate on a dual model in which government regulators establish minimum standards while professional bodies drive competency development, ethical conduct, continuing professional education and peer recognition.

A major highlight of the presentation was the introduction of the Hybrid Professional Governance Framework, built around the Professional Recognition by Professional Practice (PRPP) model.
Under the proposal, recognised professional bodies would be formally empowered under the NIHOTOUR Act to oversee continuing professional development, ethical standards, practitioner engagement and specialised competency development. NIHOTOUR, on the other hand, would retain responsibility for statutory regulation, licensing, certification, standards enforcement and maintenance of the national workforce register.

Professor Babalola outlined several key recommendations to support the framework, including the formal recognition of credible professional bodies through the PRPP model, clear delineation of professional practice areas within the tourism and hospitality industry, development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and operational manuals for recognised professional bodies, enhancement of a national digital tourism and hospitality workforce register, competency-based certification under NIHOTOUR, mandatory continuing professional development through accredited professional associations, stronger collaboration among government, industry and academia, and alignment with international best practices in tourism workforce development.

He further noted that Section 4 of the NIHOTOUR Act 2022 already provides sufficient legal backing for collaboration between NIHOTOUR and professional bodies in areas such as training, certification, capacity development and other statutory responsibilities, making partnership a more practical approach than institutional rivalry.

Stakeholders at the forum endorsed the proposal, describing it as a practical framework capable of improving institutional cooperation, eliminating duplication of functions, strengthening workforce quality and enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global tourism and hospitality market.

They also urged NIHOTOUR to sustain stakeholder consultations on the proposal in order to develop a governance model that enjoys broad industry acceptance and reflects the collective aspirations of all relevant stakeholders.

Concluding his presentation, Professor Babalola said: “Professionalisation is strongest when statutory authority and professional recognition work together, not in competition, but in partnership.”

He also acknowledged the academic support and research environment provided by the Faculty of Law, Lead City University, Ibadan, noting that presenting his doctoral research before national and international audiences demonstrates the university’s commitment to academic excellence, globally relevant research and bridging the gap between academia and industry.