The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has thrown her support behind the upcoming Africa Tourism and Creative Economy Expo (AFTCREE), set to take place on November 24–25, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria.
In a letter dated July 24, 2025, to the event’s organisers, Afrocultour, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala praised the expo’s theme “Optimising Africa’s Comparative and Competitive Advantage for Accelerated Trade and Economic Growth” as timely and relevant.
She said Africa is rich in cultural and tourism assets that can boost trade, especially in the services sector, and encouraged nations to use the opportunity to connect more strongly to global supply chains.
AFTCREE’s founder, Mr. Chuks Akamadu, said the expo is designed to tackle Africa’s low participation in global trade and tourism revenues. Although the continent’s tourism and creative industries have grown, Africa contributes less than 3% to global trade and only 5% to the $11 trillion global tourism market. He called it “paradoxical” that Africa remains underrepresented despite its wealth of natural and cultural attractions and its growing global influence in music, film, and other creative sectors.
The expo will bring together policymakers, investors, industry leaders, and scholars to identify gaps, share ideas, and push for reforms that can help Africa increase its share of global tourism revenue to at least 20% and global trade to 10% by 2030.
Highlights will include policy dialogues, business and investment forums, peer review sessions, and cultural showcases. Speakers will include ministers from Algeria, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union Commission, AFREXIM Bank, and Nigerian state governors known for tourism potential. Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, will serve as the official host.
Akamadu stressed that the event aims to change how African governments view tourism — not as leisure, but as a serious driver of economic growth. He believes Nigeria, as host, has the chance to lead by example in transforming Africa’s tourism and creative industries into engines for sustainable development.
