28-year-old Lars, a German backpacker, was eager to lay at the feet of satisfaction, his desire being to tour the history-laden Badagry slave route. When he arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, he attempted to use the Wi-Fi to book a Bolt to his hotel, but the network was missing — nowhere to be found. “Back home, I do everything online, but here, nothing seems to connect.”
This case is not a lone bird. After her recent return from Nairobi, where she booked her entire safari with a single travel app, Funmi wasn’t ready for the shock cushioned in the soft familiarity of Nigeria. She needed four different calls and two bank transfers just to organise a weekend trip to Obudu Mountain Resort. “It’s like I slid ten years behind time.” Her wry smile failed to massage her frustration into the pleasure that tourism promises.
Parallel to Funmi’s sugarless experience, Chidi, a Lagos banker, wanted to book a flight to Abuja on his phone, but the airline’s website crashed three times. In the wee hours of the morning, he frantically drove to the airport counter. To his amazement, the flight had been overbooked. Shaking his head, he cried that “in 2025, we still do not have a reliable booking system.”
These experiences expose the wider cracks in Nigeria’s travel tech ecosystem. Nigeria’s travel sector is still lagging far behind the rest of the world technologically. Nigeria suffers from low internet penetration, power disruptions, and fragile digital infrastructure, whereas other African nations embrace digital booking systems, artificial intelligence, and smooth customer experiences.
The outcome? In a market that is expected to grow, local operators lose out on opportunities while travellers encounter needless obstacles. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that by 2032, Nigeria’s tourism industry might triple its workforce and create 2.6 million new jobs, outpacing the country’s overall economic growth. However, the industry needs immediate technological investment to realise that goal.
Reports point out the difficulties as well as the opportunities. In the IMF’s AI Preparedness Index, Nigeria received a score of 0.34, placing it outside of Africa’s top 10 in terms of digital adoption preparedness. However, if digital and physical infrastructures are improved, the WTTC estimates that Nigeria’s travel and tourism sector will contribute ₦12.3 trillion to the country’s GDP by 2032. In addition to conventional investments in roads, hotels, and airports, soft investments—such as mobile booking platforms, AI-driven travel services, and sustainable experience-based apps—are becoming game changers. Digital solutions have already been identified by the World Bank as essential for putting African travel agencies in direct contact with international markets. Notably, South Africa, Kenya, and Morocco are benefiting from these developments, but Nigeria, the continent’s largest economy, runs the risk of falling behind if it does not take immediate action.
Stakeholders Agree: Technology Is not an option but a necessity.
Managing Director of Finchglow Travels, Ezekiel Ikotun, stresses that aviation must quickly respond to changing market conditions and customer needs. “Investing in people and technology is crucial for staying ahead in the industry. From automated booking systems to data analytics, leveraging technology to enhance customer experience, improve operational efficiency, and drive growth is crucial.”
Former Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Captain Samuel Caulcrick, echoes this view. Airlines must “leverage technology to improve services, reduce costs, and enhance customer experience, while scenario planning will help them develop strategies for potential future scenarios, including economic downturns or changes in government policies.” He had stated this at the 28th annual League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC). The hospitality sector feels the same urgency. Morenike George-Taylor, President of the Restaurants, Cafes, Bars, and Clubs Association of Nigeria, said at a Lagos summit: “The hotel market is projected to reach $1.44 billion in 2024 with annual growth of 12.63% during the period of 2024–2029. This is critical to an investor’s mind. You do not want to invest in a sector that is declining. You do not want to invest in a sector that is becoming irrelevant due to technology.”
Gbolabo Adebakin of the Culinary Arts Practitioners Association adds, “Technology has its role to play, and it comes with advancement. The more we advance, the more we rely on solutions to make things easier, more accessible, and more relatable. AI has come into that space because now AI is able to document, answer questions, educate, remember, and organise. The wise use of this intelligence will boost the sector,” he said.
However, experts caution that the largest obstacles continue to be a lack of skills and infrastructure. Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Policy Advisor, Jide Awe notes, “A challenge could be the human capital and infrastructure inadequacies that enable and support technology adoption. Developing high-quality and excellent technology support requires significant investment and expertise. This is a readiness issue that is critical in view of the existing digital divide.
