ACETNews
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for stronger collaboration among governments, the private sector, civil society and local communities to unlock Africa’s tourism and aviation potential.
Obasanjo made the call on Wednesday in his opening remarks at the AeroWest Summit 2026, held at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, where he stressed that Africa’s challenge was not a lack of connectivity, but the failure to effectively utilise and preserve its abundant resources.
The summit was organised by AeroWest in collaboration with Jet Afrique Aviation Service Limited and WATO led by Ola Wright.
According to Obasanjo, many African countries, including Nigeria, do not adequately understand or appreciate what they possess, making it difficult to develop and promote their tourism assets.
“The problem is we don’t even know what we have. And when you don’t know what you have, I wonder how will you know what to make of it,” he said.
The former president also expressed concern over the destruction and loss of Africa’s cultural and tourism heritage, urging stakeholders to preserve the continent’s attractions and make them accessible to the rest of the world.
He linked the growth of aviation directly to economic prosperity, explaining that airlines require passengers, while passengers and cargo depend on a thriving economy.
“For aviation to fly, there must be passengers. For passengers to be available, there must be prosperity. For prosperity to exist, there must be a thriving economy,” Obasanjo stated.
He emphasised the importance of migration, movement of people and transportation of goods in national development, noting that aircraft could not operate profitably without passengers and cargo.
Obasanjo urged stakeholders to move beyond discussions about physical connectivity and focus on building connections among people, communities and nations.
He said local communities must be properly educated on how to receive, welcome and interact with visitors, stressing that hospitality was central to successful tourism.
“We have a lot to give to the world. We must preserve what we have and make it available to the world,” he said, adding that Nigeria could achieve its development aspirations if stakeholders worked together and changed their attitudes towards prosperity and development.
The two-days event attracts tourism and aviation stakeholders from across West Africa and Central Africa who will chart new ways of “Financing connectivity, unlocking aviation and tourism growth in West Africa and Central Africa.”
The convener Ola Wright stressed the need for strategic partnership between investors in aviation and tourism to unlock the potential in the sector.
“Africa does not lack destinations. Africa does not lack stories. Africa does not lack extraordinary tourism assets. What we have lacked for far too long is the connectivity and investment architecture required to unlock them,” she added.
Among guests at the summit were MD/CEO, Jet Afrique Aviation Services Limited, Mr. Theodore Obiora Chikelu, Secretary to Lagos State Government, Mrs. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, High Commissioner of Barbados to Ghana and Nigeria, and Ambassador of Barbados to Liberia, Her Excellency Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland. Keynote speaker Prof Anthony Kila, spoke on Connectivity, cost and path to commercial viability-The state of West Africa and Central Africa Aviation and Tourism in 2026. Other panelists included Adedayo Olawuyi, Ben Gaston Mbenga, Tayo Ojuri, Capt Samuel Caulcrux and Ogbonna Agubuokwu.
