Lagos, Nigeria — The hospitality sector in Nigeria is gearing up for renewed momentum as the Hotel Expo Nigeria (HEN), returns to Lagos with its sixth edition on September 29‑30, 2025, at the Landmark Event Centre. With Joe Hanson, at the helm, alongside his co‑founders Michael Yanai and Toni‑anne Uwaifo, the expo is fast becoming more than a trade show; it is a catalyst for redefining the country’s hospitality and tourism landscape.
What is HEN?
Hotel Expo Nigeria, known by its acronym HEN, is West Africa’s major hospitality, tourism, and lifestyle trade expo. It brings together hoteliers, restaurateurs, designers, suppliers, financiers, tech-developers, policymakers, architects and other stakeholders from across related sectors. Over the years, HEN has broadened its scope beyond just hotels and restaurants to include finance, technology, interior décor, lighting, travel & tourism, and manufacturing.
Hanson’s Vision: From Standards to Setting Benchmarks
Joe Hanson’s founding idea behind HEN has been ambitious: to not only enable Nigeria’s hospitality industry to meetglobal benchmarks but to set them. Hanson has emphasized that tourism and hospitality are inseparable, that without a strong, well‑governed, innovative hospitality sector, tourism cannot thrive.
Some key components of his leadership and vision include:
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Fostering collaboration over competition, building bridges among players in the ecosystem.
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Incorporating broader value‑chain actors (tech, finance, manufacturing) to underscore how interlinked hospitality is with other sectors.
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Emphasizing strategic investment and planning, rather than ad hoc growth.
What’s New in HEN 2025: Themes, Highlights & Expectations
The upcoming edition is billed under the theme “Strategise, Connect, Invest”, reflecting the organizers’ intent to push for deeper strategy, more meaningful links, and stronger investment in the sector.
Here are what to look out for:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Participants & Exhibitors | Over 60 exhibitors expected; 1,000+ participants including local and international stakeholders. |
| Masterclasses & Conference Sessions | Topics will cover emerging trends, innovation, service quality, financing, design, etc. Experts from Nigeria and abroad will lead discussions. |
| Sector Expansion | Areas like FinTech, manufacturing, tech suppliers, décor, lighting, interior design are increasingly prominent in the expo. |
| Stakeholder Collaboration | Emphasis on forging partnerships between government, private sector, investors, and service‑providers to improve service standards and policies. |
Why HEN Matters: Impacts & Opportunities
HEN is proving to be instrumental in several ways:
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Raising Standards of Service
The expo’s networking, training, design and tech showcases help hoteliers and service providers see what global best practices look like, adopt innovations, and improve guest experience. -
Attracting Investment
As more international players become aware of Nigeria’s hospitality potential, events like HEN serve as a showcase of opportunity. Investors and financiers come to see what is possible. -
Diversifying the Sector
By bringing non‑traditional players into the fold (tech, manufacturing, finance), hospitality becomes more resilient, adaptable, and able to leverage cross‑sector synergies. -
Boosting Domestic & International Tourism
Improved service standards, better hotel design and ambience, and robust supporting industries (e.g. décor, tech, safety) all contribute to making Nigeria more appealing as a destination. -
Economic Spillover
The ripple effects are felt across related sectors: furnishings, food & drinks, travel agencies, ICT, training, employments. These contribute to business growth, job creation, and overall GDP impact. While exact figures are yet to be compiled, stakeholders at HEN often highlight the multiplier effect of improvements in hospitality.
Challenges & What Needs Attention
Even as HEN grows, there are underlying challenges the sector must continue to address:
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Cost & Inflation Pressures: Rising input costs, energy, supply chain disruptions hamper service delivery and maintenance of high standards.
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Infrastructure Gaps: Power, roads, water supply remain practical constraints for many hospitality businesses outside the major metros.
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Training & Human Resource Capability: To meet global standards, service personnel across the spectrum (from front desk to food & beverage) require continuous training and professional development.
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Financing Difficulties: Access to affordable capital remains a stumbling block, especially for small/mid‑size players.
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Regulatory & Policy Frameworks: Policies that affect land, import duties, safety standards, licensing, tax remain areas needing streamlining for the sector to flourish.
Looking Ahead: What HEN & Hanson Could Spark in the Future
With the momentum building, here are some future trajectories HEN might help realize:
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A national roadmap or strategy for hospitality & tourism, with defined standards, certification, and benchmarking.
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More public‑private partnerships (PPPs) in hotel infrastructure, tourism facilities, destination management, and support services.
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Expansion of the expo beyond Lagos—cities like Abuja, Port Harcourt, Calabar could host regional versions.
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Integration of sustainability: eco‑friendly hotel design, renewable energy, waste reduction, and local sourcing of materials.
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Leveraging technology: AI in guest service, contactless systems, smart building design, tech‑enhanced tourism experiences.
Concluding my first attempt Mirroring HEN
The return of HEN to Lagos is more than just an event—it’s a signal. A signal that Nigeria’s hospitality sector is waking up, redesigning its narrative, and betting on higher ambition. Under Joe Hanson’s leadership alongside my very good friend, Michael Yanai, HEN has become an essential platform for strategising, connecting, and investing, not just for survival, but for setting new benchmarks.
If this sixth edition lives up to its promise, it could mark a turning point, one where Nigerian hospitality is not merely catching up, but leading.
