ANJET to celebrate Radisson Group, Owoyemi, for transforming Nigeria’s hospitality sector

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET) is set to honour Chairman of the Avalon Group, Chief Tajudeen Owoyemi, and international hospitality company, Radisson Hotel Group, for their contributions to the growth and transformation of Nigeria’s hospitality industry.

The honours will form part of the 2026 ANJET Annual Conference and Awards scheduled to hold in October at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, with the theme, “Nigerian Tourism Industry and Tinubu Administration’s Immigration Reforms.”

President of ANJET, Okorie Uguru, said the recognition of Owoyemi and Radisson Hotel Group was based on their sustained contributions to Nigeria’s hospitality ecosystem, particularly their investments, job creation, improvement of hotel infrastructure and efforts to strengthen professional standards in the sector.

Uguru described Owoyemi as an entrepreneur who has played a significant role in reshaping Nigeria’s hospitality landscape over nearly 25 years, despite maintaining a relatively low public profile.

He said Owoyemi’s intervention in the sector became particularly significant in 2005 when he established Avalon Hotel in Offa, Kwara State, at a time when there was a scarcity of privately owned high-quality hospitality facilities outside major commercial centres such as Lagos and Ibadan.

According to him, the hotel, managed at the time by W Hospitality under Mr. Trevor Ward, quickly became a reference point for quality facilities and service delivery in the hospitality industry.

“Chief Owoyemi works quietly. After Avalon, he embarked on even bigger projects, including Radisson Hotel, Radisson Blu Ikeja and Park Inn by Radisson in Victoria Island, Lagos. He currently has other hospitality developments in the pipeline,” Uguru said.

He noted that beyond the physical development of hotels, Owoyemi’s investments had created employment for thousands of Nigerians, while generating additional economic opportunities through businesses and services linked to the hospitality establishments.

Uguru said such investments had contributed to improving Nigeria’s profile as a destination for both business and leisure travel.

The ANJET president also highlighted the contribution of Radisson Hotel Group to Nigeria’s hospitality industry, noting that the company had demonstrated sustained confidence in the country’s tourism and hospitality market despite economic challenges.

He said Radisson established its presence in Nigeria in 2011 when it began managing Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, at the hotel’s inception.

Over the years, he said, the group has expanded its portfolio in the country to include Radisson Hotel and Radisson Blu Ikeja, Park Inn by Radisson Victoria Island and Park Inn by Radisson Abeokuta, with additional properties reportedly in development in Lagos, Abuja, Benin and Aba.

Uguru said the group’s continued expansion had increased the number of available hotel rooms and strengthened the country’s hospitality infrastructure at a time when the industry was confronting significant economic and operational challenges.

“The Radisson Group has shown so much loyalty to the Nigerian economy by continuing to expand the number of bed spaces it is managing even during difficult economic turmoil,” he said.

He added that the group’s contribution went beyond hotel operations, pointing to its investment in human-capital development through a hospitality academy designed to help address skills shortages in Nigeria’s hospitality industry.

Uguru said the decision to honour the two hospitality stakeholders was informed by the belief that tourism development requires more than government policy, stressing that private-sector investment, quality infrastructure, skilled manpower and consistent service delivery are essential to building a competitive tourism industry.

He noted that hospitality businesses serve as important components of the tourism value chain, providing accommodation and services for tourists, business travellers, conferences and other visitors while creating direct and indirect employment.

According to him, the sustained investments by Owoyemi and Radisson have therefore contributed to strengthening the broader tourism ecosystem and improving the quality of hospitality services available to visitors in Nigeria.

The ANJET president said the association’s recognition was also intended to encourage other investors to continue putting their resources into the Nigerian tourism and hospitality sector.

He said the 2026 conference would provide an opportunity for tourism journalists, industry operators, policymakers and other stakeholders to examine the relationship between immigration policy and tourism development, particularly under the current administration.

The conference theme, he explained, reflects the growing importance of immigration reforms to the ease of movement of international visitors, business travellers and tourists into Nigeria.

Uguru said ANJET would continue to use its platform to recognise individuals and organisations making measurable contributions to the development of tourism and hospitality in Nigeria.

He described Owoyemi and Radisson Hotel Group as deserving recipients of this year’s honours, saying their investments had demonstrated the potential of Nigeria’s hospitality industry when supported by long-term commitment, innovation and confidence in the Nigerian market.