By Our Reporter
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has recorded a major breakthrough in its efforts to revive the Conseil Patronal Interprofessionnel du Tourisme de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (COPITOUR), the umbrella body for private tourism operators in West Africa, which had remained inactive for several years.
The revival was marked by a one-day consultative meeting hosted by FTAN in Abuja, where stakeholders resolved to reposition COPITOUR as the leading voice of the private tourism sector across the ECOWAS region through stronger collaboration with governments and development partners.
The meeting also attracted renewed commitments from the ECOWAS Commission, the European Union (EU), and GIZ, which urged COPITOUR to strengthen its institutional framework, expand strategic partnerships, and build sustainable structures capable of driving tourism-led economic growth across West Africa.
The commitments were made during the opening session of the Consultative Meeting on the ECOWAS Framework for the Recognition and Accreditation of Regional Business Associations, convened by the Directorate of Private Sector and Industry of the ECOWAS Commission.
The event was supported through the Trade in Services Programme, West Africa, funded by the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ Nigeria and the ECOWAS Commission.
Speaking at the event, FTAN President, Dr. Aliyu Ajayi Badaki, described the gathering as a historic milestone and reaffirmed FTAN’s commitment to working with COPITOUR to make it the foremost regional platform for private sector tourism development.
“I commend the leadership of COPITOUR for its vision and determination to reposition the organisation as the leading voice of the organised private tourism sector in West Africa. FTAN stands ready to work closely with COPITOUR, the ECOWAS Commission, and all member federations to advance our common goals,” he said.
Badaki noted that bringing the private tourism sector together under a single regional platform would unlock new opportunities for collaboration, investment, knowledge sharing, and policy alignment.
“Tourism remains one of the strongest instruments for economic diversification, job creation, cultural exchange, and regional integration, and together we can unlock its enormous potential,” he added.
He also commended the ECOWAS Commission for creating a platform that strengthens collaboration between regional business associations and the Commission, saying it reflects ECOWAS’ commitment to advancing regional integration through private sector participation.
Badaki urged participants to focus on practical outcomes that would strengthen institutions, deepen regional partnerships, and position tourism as a major driver of sustainable development within the ECOWAS community.
COPITOUR President, Mr. Racine Sy, praised the ECOWAS Commission for its continued commitment to regional cooperation and thanked GIZ for supporting the meeting.
“This gathering is a significant milestone for COPITOUR and reflects ECOWAS’ commitment to strengthening regional collaboration and the role of the organised private sector in tourism,” he said.
Sy also commended COPITOUR members for keeping the organisation’s vision alive despite years of inactivity.
“I believe this meeting marks a new dawn for COPITOUR. It provides the opportunity to reposition our organisation to effectively play its role as the leading regional tourism private sector body and a pathfinder for tourism development, policy advocacy, and regional cooperation within ECOWAS,” he stated.
He expressed optimism about stronger partnerships that would help unlock West Africa’s vast tourism potential.
Representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, the European Union, and GIZ—including Khillilou Sylla, representing the ECOWAS Commissioner for Business and Agriculture; Desmond E. Umokoro, Programme Manager for Trade and Regional Integration at the EU Delegation to Nigeria; and Kelechi Okoro, Programme Component Manager of the Trade in Services Programme, West Africa, GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS—called on COPITOUR to remain focused on its objectives while building strong institutions capable of delivering sustainable regional development.
They emphasized tourism’s strategic role in economic transformation, noting that a vibrant regional tourism industry would enhance West Africa’s competitiveness, deepen regional integration, and strengthen ties among member states.
The officials further stressed that as the regional voice of the tourism and hospitality private sector, COPITOUR has a critical role to play in mobilising industry stakeholders, promoting policy dialogue, advocating reforms that improve the tourism ecosystem, and supporting the implementation of ECOTOUR initiatives across ECOWAS member states.
