Eko Hotels & Suites has announced it will host the Africa Legacy Summit on May 15-16, 2026, at the Eko Convention Centre on Victoria Island as the centrepiece of its golden jubilee celebrations.25
The iconic five-star hotel, established in 1977 as Eko Holiday Inn and now Nigeria’s largest, has long stood as a landmark of luxury hospitality on the Lagos waterfront. Marking 50 years of excellence under the Chagoury Group, the property is using the milestone to spotlight Africa’s tourism potential through high-level dialogue.0
The two-day intercontinental symposium, themed “African Hospitality: Rich with Possibility, Ready for Afro Collaboration,” will bring together ministers, policymakers, investors, corporate leaders, young professionals, students, and hospitality stakeholders from across Africa and the Caribbean. Expected to draw thousands of participants, the summit aims to turn the continent’s vast cultural heritage, natural assets, and youthful population into scalable tourism growth.41
Discussions will focus on practical solutions: attracting international investment, raising hospitality standards, improving regional connectivity, and tackling persistent barriers such as infrastructure gaps, fragmented visa policies, and inconsistent destination branding. Organisers say the event will foster genuine Afro collaboration between governments, airlines, investors, and the cultural sector to drive economic diversification and job creation.40
Dr Iyadunni Gbadebo, Director of Sales and Marketing at Eko Hotels & Suites, described the summit as a turning point. “If the conversations in Lagos succeed, they may help shift the narrative from Africa as a destination of untapped promise to one of organised opportunity,” she said. “In tourism, as in diplomacy, the welcome matters. Africa appears ready to extend one.”40
Keynote speakers include Ambassador Wallace Williams and Professor Patrick Lumumba. The gathering underscores Eko Hotels & Suites’ belief that African hospitality is not only welcoming but globally competitive.41
As Nigeria’s commercial capital continues to shine through its creative industries, the summit positions Lagos as the natural venue to chart the next chapter of African tourism. Further anniversary events, including a Legacy Gala, will follow later in the year.
