The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has ranked Nigeria as Africa’s 14th most popular destination for important meetings in 2023.
This is based on its 2023 ICCA Business Analytics Country and City Rankings Report released on May 13, 2024.
ICCA stated its research team reviewed all the meetings submitted by members, resulting in a report that includes more than 10,000 meetings that took place in calendar year 2023
In ICCA’s Africa Geographical Ranking, Nigeria came 14th while South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya and Egypt were listed as top four destinations for meetings in terms of geographical ranking.
However, the ICCA said that while geographical divisions serve administrative purposes, they may not always align with the collective interests and potential of regions.
In a bid to foster collaboration and enhance the visibility of certain regions on the international stage, ICCA stated that it introduced an alternative ranking system that distinguishes geographical regions from ICCA Chapter Regions.
In the ‘Africa Chapter Ranking’, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana and Uganda were listed as the top five popular destinations for meetings in Africa in the year under review.
Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Mosambique and Niger came behind.
The ICCA said that its “Africa Chapter Ranking” is to streamline efforts and present a unified front in the global bidding and hosting processes.
Bidding processes for international meetings
According to Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA, the report showed the bidding processes embarked upon by relevant stakeholders.
He stated that international meetings and events can bring positive outcomes to all corners of the globe, adding the ICCA looks forward to continuing its role as a vehicle for change.
What he said in the report,
According to Gopinath, “Our research team has performed exceptionally in compiling this comprehensive data. It’s a cornerstone for our association, providing invaluable insights that empower our members and enhance our community’s strategic positioning.”
“Because association meetings are planned over the long term, preparations for congresses and conventions occur many months and years ahead of the selected date of the event.
“A great deal of planning goes into site selection, choice of vendors, and many other aspects of laying the groundwork for events.
“The meetings held in 2023 were the result of bidding processes that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
More insights
The ICCA report demonstrated each region’s adaptation to a competitive environment internationally.
While the report did not extensively explain the nature of meetings, data from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics(NBS) showed that Nigeria is home to high-level arrivals on an annual basis.
According to the NBS, “In 2021, the total number of domestic passengers who passed through Nigerian airports was 13,006,481 as against 9,069,295 in 2020, which represents a 43.41% growth rate.
“The number of arrivals in 2021 stood at 6,533,740, which was higher compared to 4,870,072 in 2020. “Also, departure stood at 6,472,741 in 2021 compared to 4,199,223 in 2020. Similarly, the total number of international passengers who passed through Nigerian airports were 2,219,146 in 2021 as against 1,408,026 passengers in 2020. This represents 57.61% growth rate. The number of arrivals in 2021 stood at 1,109,621, which was higher compared to 690,765 in 2020.”
However, it is possible that some passengers may have used Nigeria as a route to other African countries.