Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on Africa to recognize, preserve and properly market its assets to unlock tourism potential.
Obasanjo made the call while speaking at the opening of a three-day Tourism and Aviation Conference, AeroWest 2026 on Wednesday in Lagos.
The theme of the conference is “Enhancing Connectivity, Unlocking Aviation and Tourism Growth in West and Central Africa.”
He said that Africa had abundant natural, cultural and historical assets capable of attracting visitors from across the world.
According to him, Africa does not lack tourism resources but needs to better understand and preserve what it possesses.
He said that stronger collaboration among governments, the private sector, civil society and local communities would help to unlock Africa’s tourism.
“We do not lack anything. The problem is that we do not even know what we have, and when we do not know what we have, I wonder how we will know how to keep it,” Obasanjo said.
He also warned about the destruction of tourist attractions and cultural heritage across Africa, saying that the continent was losing valuable assets through neglect and inappropriate developments.
“One of the things that tourism will have to take care of in Africa generally is the destruction of what we have that are of tourist interest, which we are carrying out almost on a daily basis,” Obasanjo said.
He stressed the importance of storytelling in tourism, saying that Africa must learn to tell its own stories and communicate the significance of its cultural and natural heritage to the world.
The former president also linked tourism development directly to aviation and economic prosperity, describing aviation and tourism as “two sides of the same coin.”
“Connectivity is development and we have to connect tourism and aviation.
“For aviation to thrive, there must be passengers. For passengers to be available, there must be prosperity, and for prosperity to increase, there must be a thriving economy,” he said.
Obasanjo said that airlines could not operate profitably without passengers and cargo, stressing that the growth of aviation depended on broader economic development.
“Aircraft will not fly empty. Aviation cannot develop without carrying passengers, carrying commodities and carrying goods,” he said.
Obasanjo urged African countries to work together to promote tourism across the continent, particularly through stronger regional connectivity among countries such as Nigeria, Ghana and the Republic of Benin.
He, however, said that improving physical connectivity alone would not be sufficient, arguing that Africa also needed to develop connectivity among its people and communities.
Obasanjo cited the experience of tourists who visited communities to see how traditional delicacies and local crafts were produced but were allegedly chased away when they entered private compounds without adequate guidance.
He said that with such experience, the tourists would probably not visit again or tell others about such tourist attractions.
Obasanjo, therefore, urged communities to understand the economic value of tourism, be accommodating and welcoming to visitors.
He said that it was necessary to train people in tourist destinations on how to receive, welcome and interact with visitors.
“Not only do we have tourist attractions, we also need to train people on how to receive, how to react, how to attract, how to welcome and how to make them feel welcomed,” Obasanjo said.
The former president also advocated stronger engagement with Africans in the diaspora, saying that Africa should view the continent and its diaspora as part of one global African community.
According to him, the economic strength and cultural resources of Africans in the diaspora should complement those on the continent.
“Africa should similarly promote its culture as a shared resource capable of contributing to development.
“We have a lot to give to the world, but we must preserve what we have so that we can keep it and make it available to be given to the world,” he said.
Obasanjo further called for greater collaboration among stakeholders, saying governments could not develop tourism alone.
“The executive have to come together. Together we can achieve a lot. Individually, we can achieve very little,” he said.
Obasanjo urged stakeholders to understand what constituted a tourist attraction and develop the skills required to maximise its value.
He described the conference as an important beginning but cautioned that its resolutions and discussions must translate into sustained action.
“Our attitude, our reaction, with this conference is the beginning. It must not be the end. We should get it right,” Obasanjo said.
He reiterated that aviation and tourism were closely interconnected and challenged stakeholders to determine how both sectors could work together to achieve their ultimate objective.
