Nigeria has solidified its position as Ghana’s second-largest international tourism market, generating over 176,000 visitor arrivals in 2025 and underscoring the growing economic and cultural ties between both West African nations.

Speaking during an executive dinner hosted at the Safari Valley Resort in Adukrom, Yusif Jajah, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to expanding bilateral tourism and leveraging trade partnerships with Nigeria.

The dinner was organized in honor of the National Executive Council of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), who were in Ghana for a strategic retreat and a familiarization tour of Safari World—one of Ghana’s premier leisure and eco-tourism brands.

“This executive dinner serves as an essential platform to deepen collaboration between our government, tourism stakeholders, and travel trade partners,” Jajah stated. “Nigeria remains one of Ghana’s most critical tourism markets. While official figures capture over 176,000 arrivals in 2025, we know the real movement of people is even higher.”

The Deputy Minister also encouraged Ghanaian travel operators to reciprocal efforts by actively promoting tourism destinations across Nigeria, emphasizing that cross-border travel strengthens the historic people-to-people connections between both nations.

In his response, Yinka Folami, NANTA President, highlighted the association’s 50-year legacy and its network of over 4,000 travel agents across Nigeria. He urged regional operators to convert West African cultural proximity into concrete commercial benefits for member agencies.

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“Ghana and Nigeria have consistently stood on the positive side of Pan-Africanism,” Dr. Folami said. “Colonial borders were created for administrative convenience, but we are one continent. Every journey between our countries should strengthen regional integration and drive trade.”

Folami urged Nigerian travel professionals to integrate destination offerings like Safari World into their commercial product portfolios while calling on Ghanaian stakeholders to reciprocate by marketing Nigerian cultural and commercial destinations to Ghanaian travelers.

The familiarization visit marked a significant operational milestone for Safari World. Founder and Chief Executive, Mr. Samuel Afari—a forest scientist and conservationist—noted that hosting the Nigerian trade leadership fulfilled a 15-year strategic vision to build a direct pipeline with the Nigerian travel market.

The engagement is expected to yield tailored travel packages connecting Nigerian tourists to Safari World’s eco-tourism developments across Accra, Ada, and Dawu.

To close the evening, NANTA leadership presented certificates of appreciation to Deputy Minister Jajah and Mr. Afari in recognition of their efforts to foster cross-border trade, regional integration, and sustainable tourism across West Africa.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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