A kenyan friend savours Lagos, Africa’s biggest metropolis

A kenyan friend savours Lagos, Africa’s biggest metropolis

My Kenyan friend, Shirley Nailantei, runs a great travel and tour operations agency, Convette Group, based in Nairobi with another office in Kigali, Rwanda. From her bases, she plans and runs her businesses and takes tourists through throughout Africa, America, Europe, Middle East and Asia.
Last year was her first time in Nigeria, and particularly Lagos. She was here for an international women empowerment event. Her experience that first time inspired her to return again in November as a visitor to be part of one of biggest and most vibrant travel trade exhibitions, Akwaaba African Travel Market, which holds at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, Nigeria.
Interestingly, the event was holding at the Civic Center on Ozumba Mbadiwe road, Victoria Island. The event organizers, intentionally or otherwise, strategically positioned the event at the first and second floors of the structural masterpiece of a building. That position gives guests and delegates the rare privilege to enjoy a 360 degrees panoramic view of the whole city roundabout from that position.
“I have heard all sorts of things about Lagos. But no one told me that Lagos has so much body of water. This a great tourism product for tourists to experience”, my excited friend exclaimed to me as she was moved by her experience of Lagos.
A look at the setting of Lagos and through the numbers of towns and villages that surround the Lagos waterways around the Lekki axis, it is very clear that nautical tourism would transform the perceptions of people about the State’s tourism asset, products and to drive a new segment of tourists.
The Civic Center is thoughtfully built by the shoreline of the Five Cowrie Creek which flows through the Lekki Pennisula and merges with the Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean off Bonny Camp and Apapa dockyard. The body of water meandered like a string of a monster snake through the whole landscape from Ozumba Mbadiwe through the length of Lekki Freeway into the Pennisula and joins the Lagoon which now borders with Ikorodu, Epe, Eti-Osa and Victoria Island. The water separates Ikoyi area of Lagos from Victoria Island to the left as you drive towards Lekki from Bonny Camp on Ozumba Mbadiwe. And Victoria Island is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the right.
Shocking as it would sounds, many residents of the city have hardly taken time out to explore the abundant beautiy and opportunities that the aquatic cruise through the waters of Lagos affords. And while some the waterways are poorly managed and maintained, the waterway around the Lekki axis is exceptional and worth experiencing.
Ikorodu, Eti-Osa, Lekki and Epe are historical towns of Lagos and played great cultural, occupational and political roles in forming everything that is today known and appreciated as Lagos. The locals of these coastal towns are still predominantly fishermen till date as it was in the past. The changes of civilization and modernization notwithstanding, all of them have retained their basic signatures according to their history. Further hinterland from the coastline, the locals practiced buying and selling and art and craft works which are evidence when tourists visit these local markets.
Cruising through the water, tourists would have the opportunity to stop over at some points to visits fish markets, arts and craft markets, art galleries, conservation garden, beach resorts, royal palaces of the various Obas and Baales which are situated not far from the coastline. Others are the festivals which hold around this areas at some point through the year.

After having a night of fun and music at the Freedom Park, Lagos, it would be awesome to start the tour after visiting the National Museum at Onikan. Some of other attractions around the include the Lekki Conservation Center, a nature reserve sited on 78 hectares of land on the Lekki Pennisula. Another attraction is the Lagos Carnival, held during the Black Heritage Festival and celebrates the city’s ancestry and the plurality of its identity.
It holds around March and April during the Easter celebrations. There is also the Eyo Festival, which is the most popular festival on the Island of Lagos. There is the Lagos Water Regatta, which holds on the water and is an aquatic event during the Black Heritage Festival and displays brightly decorated boats and depicts the socio-cultural traditions of Lagos. The event showcases the main occupations of Lagos coastal communities – fishing.
Other attractions on that axis of Lagos by the lagoon coastline are the Eleko Beach, a public beach, popular for its clean stretch of sandy beach; La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort; Lekki Leisure Lake at Okunde Blue Water Tourism Scheme, Lekki; Nike Art Gallery; Quintessence Art and Craft on the Ikoyi axis; the Craft Market Lekki – a must see for every visitor in Lagos; Hermitage Garden Resorts and Eko Tourist Beach Resort, Akodo, Lekki. The Palm Shopping Mall Lekki is available for tourists also.
For people who seek to hire cruise boats, Lagos offers so much options for private cruise boat hires for cruises with the city. Top among them are Tarzan Jetty, located near the Lekkin Toll Gate; Fiki Jetty, located under the Falomo Bridge by Ozumba Mbadiwe; The Lagos Motor Boat Club, on Awolowo way Ikoyi and The Lagos Yacht Club.
International media and delegates of several international hospitality brands from across Africa and the world may have an opportunity to experience and savour the aquatic splendor for which Lagos has been known for this September, if the recent meeting and proposal before the Lagos State Tourism Ministry to partner Akwaaba Travel Market is successful.
Akwaaba African Travel Market (AFTM) is an annual international travel event organized by Akwaaba Travel Market Limited and founded by Ikechi Uko. It is the only international travel fair in West Africa; it’s a face to face marketing platform for travel companies; and a meeting place for travel and tourism investors to network. It’s held every year in Lagos, Nigeria. Because of the large turnout of participation, drawing attendance from over 20 countries; numerous airlines, both domestic and foreign; and leading Africa hotel chains, attracting more than 10, 000 visitors, it is referred to as ‘‘ Where Africa meets the world ’’.

Akwaaba African Travel Market paid Mr. Ashimi Jamiu Adewale, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry a courtesy visit in early March and put forward the proposal. Mr. Ashimi, in response appreciated the visit and expressed his delight in partnering with Akwaaba. He promised that Lagos will host international visitors to Akwaaba 2017 on a tour of Lagos. And that Lagos will utilize the ideas and goodwill offered. He promised to brief the governor of the award.
From the outcome of that meeting, going by the excitement and satisfaction that beamed on the faces of the parties, it was obvious that tourism efforts would begin to achieve needed dividends in the years to come the ideas.
Akwaaba African Travel Market (AFTM) has made a new addition to year’s event, tagged, Chef Challenge with a follow up Food expo, to precede the Africa Travel Awards, a prime event for the exhibitions, and which marks the formal opening of the fair and features speeches and presentations, award presentation, cultural dance displays from various dance troupes across Africa, music performances and dinner. Then, the Africa Travel and Tourism Conference, aims to address the challenges and solutions of travel and tourism development in Africa.
With expert speakers and discussants drawn across the globe, delegates, guests and exhibitors will be enriched with vital knowledge and information on the up-to-date changing trends in the practice and operations within the related sectors of the travel and tourism businesses.

Akwaaba African Travel Market’s Aviation Day focuses on the Aviation Industry .The Aviation day features workshops and presentations where industry experts discuss the outlook for the Africa region, find out what trends are affecting Africa, the challenges and opportunities in the long-term and learn how to adapt to changing market conditions as well as celebrates Top Brands. The event is rounded off with Lunch and Musical Performance. Hospitality day focuses on the hospitality industry, with attendance of nearly all the managers from the top international hotel brands in the Africa region.
It features presentations by notable individuals on the latest trends, tools and technology to help hotels stay ahead of competition and increase guests experience. In 2014, Samsung West-Africa launched their new set of Hospitality TV into the West-African Market at the event. This event is rounded off with lunch, Raffle-draw, musical performances and Wine-tasting.
Country day celebration is aimed at promoting travel within Africa through showcasing the food, Culture and destinations of participating countries. These countries in conjunction with their embassies in Nigeria can organize a food, wine tasting event or bring along a cultural troupe to entertain at the event. Ghana, Gambia, Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria day have all been celebrated. The Wedding and Spa Event segment of the AFTM features services and professionals in this business, these include the best African hotels; spa houses; event planners; caterers; makeup artists; photographers; fashion designers with designs from top fashion houses and bridal designers. This event segment includes a raffle draw where couples get to win fantastic honeymoon getaways and weekend stays.
Attendees to the Akwaaba fair have the opportunity to sample different top wines and spirits from the exhibiting wine dealers and manufactures from all over the world.[18] The Akwaaba African Travel Market offers wine sellers and buyers the opportunity to engage with the traveling public. The event is a marketing platform for wine manufacturers and distributors across Africa.
A boat cruise for the international media, delegates and visitors would be very welcome move by the government of Lagos State, and would go a long way to establish a new tradition which would not only uplift Lagos as a destination for both leisure and business travellers, but also bring cruise tourism as a good product for travel and tour operators in Lagos and Nigeria to take massive advantage of, event as the move would further strengthen maintenance effort on the waterways in the State.

This story was originally published in ATQNews.com with the heading: Tourism: Lagos, Akwaaba Travel and the Acquatic splendours of Africa’s biggest metropolis