By Onyekachi Victoria Philip
The 9th National Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo officially commenced on Monday, July 27th, 2026, in Abuja with the induction of President of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, into the prestigious Body of Fellows.
The summit, themed “Tourism and Transportation: Building Connectivity and Mobility for Sustainable Development,” opened with the rendition of the Nigerian National Anthem before the hosts welcomed participants and acknowledged the presence of distinguished guests and fellows to be inducted.
Delivering the opening address, the National President of the Institute of Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN), Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, appreciated participants for attending the summit and spoke on collaboration between the tourism and transportation sectors to drive sustainable national development.
The event witnessed the presence of several notable personalities, including Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, President of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort; Aliyu Barki, Assistant Director at the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy; Ismaila Danjuma Adamu, an expert in Air Transportation Management, Transport Economic Policy and Aviation Security, alongside other industry leaders.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of key government agencies and institutions. Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Mr. Abdulkarim Ozi Ibrahim spoke further on opening up rural and emerging tourism destinations through improved transportation infrastructure.
Other dignitaries who addressed the gathering included the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr. Kayode Opeifa; former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi; Chancellor of the African Aviation and Aerospace University, Abuja, Mustapha Sheikh Abdullahi; and the National President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Dr. Badaki Aliyu.
A major highlight of the opening ceremony was the induction of distinguished tourism and transportation professionals into the Body of Fellows. Those honoured included Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, Segun Ochuko of the Federation of Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (FITPN), Dr. Bayern Salih, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, and other eminent personalities for their outstanding contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s tourism and transportation sectors.