By Ekunkonye Junior, Abuja
The Director-General (DG) of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Dr. Ola Awakan, has been appointed Chairman of the African Travel Commission (ATC), reinforcing Nigeria’s leadership role in advancing continental tourism.
The announcement was made during high-level engagements following the ATC’s inaugural summit in Lagos. Originally established in 1965 and revived in Ghana in 2021 as a non-profit under Executive Director Dr. Lucky George, the ATC serves as a strategic platform to promote intra-African travel, strengthen partnerships, advocate progressive policies, and position Africa as a unified global destination.
Dr. Awakan’s emergence as Chairman builds on Nigeria’s longstanding contributions to global tourism development, including its historic role in shaping international tourism cooperation and the evolution of the World Tourism Organization.
Accepting the position, he pledged to drive sustainable tourism growth, enhance competitiveness, deepen cultural exchange, and unlock broader economic opportunities across the continent through strong public–private collaboration.
He further expressed optimism for Nigeria’s tourism sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that Nigeria is well positioned to lead efforts aimed at improving visa openness, strengthening air connectivity, and fostering regional integration.
These priorities were echoed at the February ATC Summit co-hosted by NTDA and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), where stakeholders called for coordinated action to accelerate travel and tourism across Africa.
This appointment places Nigeria at the forefront of Africa’s tourism renaissance, with plans to convene tourism leaders from across the continent and implement collaborative frameworks that will transform Africa into a premier global tourism hub through innovation, unity, and strategic advocacy.
