By Janefrances Chibuzor
Ambassador Chimezie Mike, convener of the 2025 African Hospitality and Tourism Education Summit(ATHES), has reiterated that the development of African economies is inseparably linked to the empowerment of the mind through education, particularly within the hospitality and tourism sector. Held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 25 to 27 July 2025, the summit drew industry stakeholders, students, academics, business leaders and government representatives from across Africa to discuss one of the continent’s most overlooked tools for economic growth: hospitality and tourism education.
Ambassador Mike, who is also the founder of Tourism Afrikania and currently serves as the National Publicity Secretary of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria (HATI), said the summit was borne out of a deep conviction that economic transformation begins with changing the mindset of individuals. According to him, the continent must move beyond slogans and policies and begin to practically expose young Africans to the vast business potential embedded in the hospitality and tourism value chain.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after a keynote presentation, Mike said: “We organised the ATHES 2025 under the theme, Empowering Africa’s Hospitality and Tourism Education, because we want people to understand that economies only grow when minds are empowered. Once people begin to experience shifts in how they think and what they believe is possible, they begin to recognise business opportunities around them, particularly in areas like sport tourism, aviation, culinary arts, lodging, travel management and related services.”
The summit, which held at the prestigious BWC Hotel, featured panel sessions, exhibitions, student-led presentations, and industry-focused workshops aimed at fostering a fresh perspective towards hospitality careers. In one of the summit’s more emotional moments, Mike recounted how a young girl attending the event confidently declared her ambition to become a general manager of a seven-star hotel. That single moment, he said, captured the vision behind the summit.
“There are children across this continent who still do not know that hospitality and tourism can offer viable, fulfilling and prosperous career paths,” he said. “Through this summit, we are saying: yes, your child can become a hotel general manager, a travel entrepreneur, a luxury experience designer or a tourism ambassador. All they need is the right information and education.”
For Mike, the presence of students at the summit was particularly critical. He observed that many of them had already begun engaging with data and statistics around global tourism revenues, understanding the strategic roles that hospitality plays in other nations’ Gross domestic Products, and benchmarking against African potentials. He expressed optimism that this sort of engagement will create a generation that sees the industry not just as a stop-gap for the unemployed, but as a transformative professional ecosystem.
Responding to questions about stakeholder interest and participation, Mike explained that the summit had been designed as a convergence point for professionals, regulators, investors and educators across the continent. “One of the major outcomes we want is for people to begin to seriously consider investing in hospitality and tourism education. The drivers of the hospitality ecosystem, hoteliers, chefs, flight attendants, tour operators, housekeeping professionals, need to be educated and appreciated. If a tourist lands in Nigeria today, who are the first people they will meet? It is the hospitality professionals. So if they are poorly trained, they endanger the national brand.”
The summit was supported by various private sector players and institutions of higher learning, including hospitality schools and tourism departments across several Nigerian universities and polytechnics. It also received notable attendance from state tourism boards, airlines, hotel management companies and travel startups.
Over the course of the summit, issues such as curriculum development for hospitality schools, certification standards, policy alignment, and digital innovation in tourism were rigorously discussed. For Mike and his team at Tourism Afrikania, the summit marks just the beginning of a broader continental advocacy movement that seeks to reposition hospitality education as a critical pillar in Africa’s developmental strategy.
“We must understand that Africa cannot compete on global terms if we do not begin to prioritise sectors that can create millions of jobs, attract foreign direct investment, and redefine how the world sees us,” Mike concluded. “Hospitality and tourism is one of such sectors. But before we build more hotels or create more destinations, we must build the minds that will run them. That’s what this summit is about.”
