The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), in collaboration with Ghana-based Safari Valley Resort and Ibom Air, will embark on a four-day retreat aimed at renewing commitment to intra-African tourism following the adverse effects of xenophobic sentiments and trade barriers across the continent.
The retreat, themed “Africa for Africa: Tourism, Unity and Shared Growth,” is designed to foster pan-African dialogue, promote solutions to Afrophobia, and address barriers hindering tourism and travel opportunities within Africa.
NANTA President, Mr Yinka Folami said Nigeria and Ghana share a long-standing history of promoting African unity, liberation and pan-African cooperation, making the two countries well-positioned to champion stronger regional tourism ties.
This, he said, is why the association is moving to recalibrate and rekindle hope for a strong and united Africa.
“From the intellectual foundations laid by our leaders during the independence movements to decades of cultural tourism exchange, trade and commerce, Nigeria and Ghana have repeatedly chosen partnership and collaboration over division,” Folami stated.
The NANTA President also said that the visit is more than cultural tourism.
“It is a historic handshake. A reaffirmation that Africa is not merely a collection of countries separated by colonial borders, but one community connected by history, culture, trade, enterprise and people,”he explained.
Folami further stated that the NANTA Executive Council would use the opportunity to deliberate on the future of the association, which recently marked its Jubilee celebration in Ibadan.
He said; “Key on the agenda is NANTA’s commitment to advocating for easier movement of persons across Africa and building stronger tourism partnerships and policies that encourage Africans to see other African countries not as foreign territory, but as home.”
The retreat, beginning on Friday 17th July 2026, is expected to bring together travel trade leaders, tourism stakeholders, and policy advocates from both countries to chart a new path for seamless travel and cultural exchange within Africa.
Victoria Ibanga
