More than 2,000 hospitality professionals gathered at Lagos Continental Hotel for the eighth edition of Hotel Managers Conference Africa, bringing together stakeholders from across the continent. The two-day event ran under the theme "Raising the Bar; Sales, Service & Standards for a Competitive Africa," with the venue hosting the conference for three consecutive years.
Olugbenga Sunday, CEO of Tojum Hospitality and conference convener, said the gathering has consistently guided hotel managers and owners toward excellence in service delivery, facility management and sustainable industry investments. He praised stakeholders for transforming what began as a Nigeria-focused event into a continent-wide platform.
Participants benefited from masterclasses, panel discussions, paper presentations and other educational sessions throughout the conference. Sunday expressed satisfaction that attendees gained practical insights they could apply in their operations.
Professor Wasiu Babalola delivered the keynote address on "The Future of African Hospitality: Competing Beyond Borders." He told the audience that tomorrow's hotels will compete on intelligence, innovation and experience rather than room numbers alone.
Babalola outlined five priorities for Africa's competitive hospitality sector: strategic partnerships, professional leadership, service excellence, harmonised standards and digital transformation. He shared his own trajectory from waiter to chef to professor, illustrating how the industry rewards ambition.
OPay sponsored the event as headline partner, using the platform to showcase its financial services and payment solutions to hospitality operators. Huawei, Lagos Continental Hotel, Nigerian Bottling Company and Presken also backed the conference.
Maame Efua Houadjeto, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), led Ghanaian delegates and served as special guest of honour. She called for West African collaboration among hospitality stakeholders to drive investment, lift service standards and coordinate global tourism marketing.
Houadjeto urged Nigeria to leverage its film industry strength to reshape Africa's global image while encouraging other nations to do likewise in their respective sectors. She identified food, culture and creative exchanges as areas where Nigeria and Ghana could deepen partnership.
Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Lagos State commissioner for tourism, arts and culture, commended the conference for drawing participants from across Africa. She highlighted the state's sustained tourism investment, which has established Lagos as Nigeria's premier destination.
Benson-Awoyinka noted Lagos remains keen on collaborations like the HMCA platform because of their significant economic impact and contribution to the state's bid to become Africa's leading meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions destination. She underscored the importance of such partnerships to the region's tourism objectives.
