The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law has said it will use its 2026 Tourism Retreat and Roundtable in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to examine ways of unlocking investment in Nigeria’s travel, tourism and hospitality sector.
The four-day event, organised by the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Committee of the NBA-SBL, will be held from October 1 to 4, 2026, at the Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, Uyo.
Themed “Unlocking Investment in the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Sector: The Role of Data and Innovative Financing,” the retreat will bring together lawyers, investors, financiers, regulators, tourism operators, policymakers and other stakeholders.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, Chairman of the NBA-SBL, Baba Alokolaro, described travel, tourism and hospitality as among Nigeria’s “new oil”, saying the country had several untapped tourism destinations capable of contributing to economic growth.
He said, “A country like Nigeria, where we have predominantly focused on oil and gas, you will find that the few other areas of interest that I would call our new oil include travel, tourism and hospitality.
“There are so many parts of this country that remain untapped, unseen, and their potential is huge.”
Alokolaro said the decision to hold the retreat in Uyo was part of the section’s effort to take discussions on law, regulation and policymaking beyond Lagos and other major commercial centres.
He said the TTHC had contributed to discussions on regulatory and policy issues affecting the sector while supporting states and the Federal Government on the development of tourism.
“Having a specific committee that deals with travel, tourism and hospitality has been one of the areas of the SBL that has helped to facilitate growth in regulatory issues, law, and generally policy-making and forming for the country,” he said.
Chairman of the TTHC, Kemi Afesojaye, said the committee chose the theme because developing Nigeria’s tourism potential required more than attractive destinations.
She said reliable data, financing, capital and appropriate structures were necessary to make the sector commercially viable.
“Being able to tap all of Nigeria’s tourism potential goes beyond just beautiful destinations. We need data, we need financing, capital, structure,” Afesojaye said.
She added that lawyers had a role to play in providing the legal and structural framework required to attract investment into the industry.
Afesojaye said the committee was also committed to promoting domestic tourism and taking its activities to states with significant but underutilised tourism potential.
She disclosed that the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, would deliver the keynote address and participate in a fireside chat on issues affecting tourism, hospitality and the creative economy.
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Rita George-Okoh, said the event was designed to combine intellectual and business discussions with cultural and leisure experiences.
She said they initially had concerns about taking the retreat outside the South-West because of the logistics involved in transporting delegates from different parts of the country, but noted that the response had been encouraging.
George-Okoh said business leaders, policymakers and tourism enthusiasts would be brought together to discuss issues affecting the sector.
“We want to have a room where we have business leaders in this sector, policymakers, and, of course, people who are tourism enthusiasts, have them in the room to discuss burning issues relating to tourism,” she said.
She said the programme would include discussions on data, innovative financing, deal structuring and infrastructure.
George-Okoh added that delegates would experience some of Akwa Ibom’s cultural and tourism attractions, including a visit to Victor Attah International Airport and the palace of the Paramount Ruler of Uyo.
She said the Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort was the hospitality partner for the retreat and had offered discounted rates for delegates.
The main roundtable, she said, would be held on Saturday, October 3, from 9:30 am, while the programme would also feature a cultural night and other activities.
George-Okoh also assured delegates of adequate security, saying she and the planning committee secretary had walked around Uyo at night during a planning visit without experiencing any security concerns.
Vice Chairman of the Planning Committee, Kayode-Nissi Joshua, said the intellectual sessions would focus on five key areas: data, financing and deal structuring, infrastructure, law and regulation, and the role of stakeholders.
He said data was critical to improving efficiency and decision-making in the tourism sector, while financing and deal structuring were necessary to attract investment.
Joshua said infrastructure was equally important because it could expand access to tourism destinations and markets.
“We’ve not tapped enough of what Nigeria has to offer. That’s why we’re taking the trip down to Uyo,” he said.
He added that the committee would examine Akwa Ibom’s legal framework for tourism and consider the role of law and policy in promoting investment in the sector.
Among the speakers expected at the retreat are former NBA-SBL Chairman, Ayuli Jemide; SBL Council member, Ohaeri Obehi; sector specialist, Justina Ovat; Victor Okhai; and Adebayo Obo, who has interests in the aviation, hospitality and entertainment sectors.
Joshua said the organisers were seeking practical recommendations that could be assessed for measurable progress after the retreat.
“We’ll have conversations that will be worthwhile, and most importantly, we’ll have takeaways that will ensure that by the time we’re gathering next year or by the time we are doing an assessment of our experience next year, we would see measurable progress that has come from recommendations at the round table,” he said.
A member of the committee, Uyi Edoigiawerie, said the TTHC’s mandate went beyond travel and social activities, stressing that its ultimate objective was to promote domestic tourism and contribute to economic growth.
He said the committee engaged regulators and other stakeholders on policies capable of advancing the industry.
“When you hear TTHC, people think all we do is just travel around, wear fancy T-shirts, wear fancy pants, and jump around. No! Beyond that, we are engaging stakeholders, engaging regulators, not just to advance and promote tourism, but the end goal at the end of the day is to enlarge and further boost the GDP of this country,” Edoigiawerie said.
He said the country’s dependence on oil and gas had made it necessary to explore tourism as another source of economic activity.
“As my distinguished chair here said, we are only focused on oil and gas, but we are sitting on a gold mine which is tourism,” he said.
Edoigiawerie announced that registration for the retreat would close on September 20, with various packages available for delegates travelling from Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country.
He said a N600,000 package covered return airfare, meals, airport and local transportation, four nights’ accommodation, tours, roundtable sessions and the signature party.
Other packages would provide combinations of accommodation, meals, transportation, tours and roundtable participation, while a local package would cater for delegates based in or around Akwa Ibom.
The organisers urged lawyers, investors, tourism operators and other stakeholders interested in the development of Nigeria’s travel, tourism and hospitality sector to register and participate in the retreat.
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