By Onyekachi Victoria Philip
What happens when some of West and East Africa’s most dynamic markets are brought into the same room?That question will take centre stage in Ethiopia this September as Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya feature prominently in the East–West Africa Amalgamation through Tourism, Trade and Creative Arts.
The programme, scheduled for September 15–23, 2026, is a super opportunity to look beyond the traditional boundaries between Africa’s regions and examine what can happen when their markets, people and strengths are connected.
For Nigeria and Ghana, the platform provides an opportunity to deepen links with East African markets while showcasing their business, tourism and creative potential.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has a large consumer market and a globally recognised creative spanning music, film, fashion and entertainment.
Ghana, meanwhile, has developed strong tourism, cultural and diaspora connections, particularly through initiatives that position the country as a destination for African heritage and investment.
Across the continent, Kenya brings a strong tourism identity and serves as an important commercial gateway in East Africa, while Ethiopia, the host country, offers a distinctive combination of history, culture, tourism and an important diplomatic position as home to the headquarters of the African Union.
What can a Nigerian business take to Kenya?
What can Ghanaian tourism operators learn from Ethiopia?
What investment opportunities can East African businesses discover in West Africa?
And how can creative industries in different parts of the continent collaborate instead of competing from separate corners?
These are the kinds of connections the organisers, NACCIMA, Motherland Beckons, IPADA Initiatives and Accelerating Africa’s Growth Connect (AAGC) hope to encourage through the programme.
The initiative will include business engagements, investment discussions, cultural activities and matchmaking sessions designed to put businesses and potential partners in direct contact.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is designed to create a single market for goods and services across participating African countries, with the broader goal of increasing intra-African trade and economic integration.
The East–West initiative comes at a time when conversations around connecting African markets are becoming increasingly important.
But the strength of the September gathering may not only be in the deals made during the event.It could also be in the relationships created between people who previously viewed East and West Africa as distant markets.
A tourism entrepreneur can discover a new destination.
An investor can identify a new market.
A creative can find a collaborator.
A business owner can meet a potential distributor.
And a government representative can hear directly from businesses looking to enter the market.
From Addis Ababa to Wolaita Soddo, the East-West Africa Amalgamation will create a meeting point where markets meet culture, business meets tourism and regional differences become opportunities for collaboration.
The programme holds from September 15–23, 2026, in Ethiopia.
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