By Seun Ibiyemi
The Government of Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening tourism and cultural ties with Nigeria, describing Africa’s most populous nation as one of its most strategic tourism markets.
Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mr. Yusif Jajah, made the declaration on Tuesday during an executive dinner held at Safari Valley Resort, Adukrom, in honour of the National Executive Council of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), which is in Ghana for a retreat and familiarisation tour.
Addressing tourism stakeholders and travel professionals, Jajah said Nigeria remained a key contributor to Ghana’s tourism industry and an important partner in driving visitor arrivals.
“This executive dinner is an important platform for strengthening collaboration between our government, tourism stakeholders and travel trade partners. Nigeria, our big brothers, remains one of Ghana’s most important tourism markets,” he said.
Citing Ghana’s 2025 Tourism Report, the deputy minister disclosed that the country recorded more than 1.3 million international arrivals in 2025, with Nigeria ranking as the second-largest source market after the United States.
According to him, Ghana welcomed over 176,000 visitors from Nigeria during the period, underscoring the strong cultural and economic ties between both countries.
“We appreciate that, but despite this number, we know it’s more than this number. At least, it is an indication of over 176,000 international arrivals from Nigeria in 2025,” Jajah said.
He added that the figures reflected the enduring people-to-people relationship between Ghana and Nigeria and expressed optimism that stronger collaboration would boost travel flows in both directions.
Speaking at the event, NANTA President, Mr. Yinka Folami, said the association recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and currently boasts more than 4,000 members nationwide.
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Folami stressed that Ghana and Nigeria have historically played leading roles in promoting Pan-Africanism and regional integration through tourism and cultural exchange.
“One undeniable fact is that Ghana and Nigeria have always been on the positive side of Pan-Africanism. Every journey between Ghana and Nigeria will strengthen Pan-Africa,” he said.
He urged Ghanaian tourism operators to actively promote Nigeria as a destination, noting that greater cooperation would create new opportunities for businesses and travellers across West Africa.
Folami also praised the investment in Safari World, describing the project as extraordinary and urging Nigerian travel agencies to transform the relationship into commercial opportunities.
“And what you have built is breathtaking. We must convert this to commercial opportunities for our members,” he said.
The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Safari World, Mr. Samuel Afari, described the visit by the Nigerian delegation as the fulfilment of a 15-year vision to establish stronger partnerships with the Nigerian travel market.
Afari, a forest scientist and conservationist, noted that deeper collaboration between tourism operators in both countries would strengthen regional integration and unlock new growth opportunities for the industry.
To conclude the event, NANTA presented certificates of appreciation to the deputy minister and Afari in recognition of their contributions to promoting tourism relations between Nigeria and Ghana.
The familiarisation tour is expected to lead to the development of new travel packages aimed at attracting more Nigerian tourists to Safari World’s destinations in Accra, Ada and Dawu.
