Mr. Adebayo Adeji, Chief Executive Officer of Wakanow Group, shared his vision to drive economic growth across Africa through increased intra-African travel.
Making this disclosure in a recent interview with CNN's Marketplace Africa, Adedeji talked about leveraging fintech innovations and strategic partnerships with airlines to make travel more accessible and affordable for Africans. He highlighted the company's commitment to forming partnerships and investing in local travel companies.
“Intra-African travel has the potential not only to strengthen connectivity between African countries, but also to foster job creation and stimulate regional economies,” he said.
He acknowledged existing challenges, such as limited infrastructure and high travel costs, but expressed confidence that these can be resolved through strategic initiatives.
He noted that one of the key strategies discussed was the integration of fintech solutions to provide flexible payment options to travelers.
“Our goal is to remove barriers to travel, and fintech will play a key role in achieving this,” Adediji said.
“By offering innovative payment plans, Wakanow aims to democratize travel and open new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourism sector.”
Mr. Adediji also emphasized the importance of building strong partnerships with both regional and international airlines to streamline routes and reduce the cost of air travel within Africa.
“Affordable air travel is a catalyst for intra-African tourism,” he said.
Adedeji said such collaborations are essential to enhance connectivity and give travelers access to more destinations.
He said Mr Wakanou envisions a connected Africa driven by a vibrant travel and tourism sector, with a focus on capacity building to empower businesses and spread the benefits of tourism, and to empower local communities. It added that it has invested in several travel companies.
He emphasized that through strategic investments, supportive policies and innovation, intra-African travel could become key to the continent's economic growth.
