Ekiti State is set to showcase its agro-tourism potential and investment opportunities at the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market, scheduled to hold from September 13 to 15, 2026, at Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos.

The state will participate under the theme, “Ekiti Agro-Tourism, The Farm Is the Destination,” as it seeks to attract tourists, travel buyers and investors while promoting Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s economic and tourism development agenda.

The delegation will be led by the Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Wale Ojo-Lanre, Esq., who said the state’s participation in major tourism exhibitions was designed to promote contemporary tourism products, infrastructure, experiences and investment opportunities.

Ojo-Lanre explained that, unlike previous outings where Ekiti projected medical and educational tourism, the 2026 Akwaaba exhibition would focus on the state’s growing agro-tourism economy.

Among the key projects and initiatives to be showcased are the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, the Young Farmers Revolution, the Cavista/Agbeyewa cassava programme, the cocoa rebirth initiative and Value Ingredients Limited, which represents the state’s farm-to-factory-to-table value chain.

According to him, Ekiti’s proposition at the event is captured in the message: “Fly Ekiti, Farm Ekiti, Taste Ekiti, Stay and Explore Ekiti, Invest in Ekiti.”

The state will also promote major tourism and heritage attractions, including Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, TAJ Suites, Davies Travel Lodge, Arinta Waterfalls, Ugele Rock Shelter and the First Catholic Mass Centre in Usi-Ekiti.A “Taste Ekiti” activation will further showcase selected locally produced foods and agricultural products under the message, “Taste It • Like It • Buy It.”

The Ekiti State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (EKDIPA) will also operate an investment desk at the event to engage prospective investors on opportunities in agro-tourism, hospitality, agriculture, processing, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), eco-tourism and public-private partnerships.

Ojo-Lanre said the state’s participation was not limited to tourism promotion, stressing that the ultimate objective was to convert tourism visibility into investment, employment and economic growth.

He therefore urged tour operators, travel buyers, investors, airlines, hospitality professionals and media practitioners attending the Akwaaba African Travel Market to visit the Ekiti State Pavilion and explore the opportunities available in the state.