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Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has called on African countries to reposition the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector as an important platform to attract investments, expand trade and create jobs.
Mohammed made this appeal at the 9th Africa Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Summit in Mombasa, Kenya.
A copy of his presentation was made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday.
Africa captures only 4% of the global MICE market
Mohammed said the global MICE sector is estimated at around $1.3 trillion, but Africa currently only accounts for around 4% of the market.
He argued that corporate events should not be seen simply as opportunities to fill hotels, restaurants and planes.
Instead, he said they should be used to bring together investors, buyers, politicians, businesses and specialists to generate long-term economic activity.
“MICE should not be seen simply as people who come to Africa, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and return home,” he said.
Business events can generate broader economic activity
According to Mohammed, a large conference or exhibition can create opportunities that go far beyond the event itself.
It identified potential benefits in sectors such as: investment, trade, tourism, aviation, hospitality, transport, technology, entertainment, retail, employment.
He described the goal as turning individual events into interconnected economic ecosystems.
“The opportunity is to turn events into ecosystems,” he said.
Mohammed encouraged African destinations to develop MICE strategies based on existing economic and cultural advantages rather than competing for the same events.
He cited Nigeria’s entertainment industry, Kenya’s athletics and tourism sectors, South Africa’s convention industry and Rwanda’s role as a gateway for business as examples of areas countries could leverage.
He also advocated for greater cooperation between African countries, including joint bidding and shared hosting arrangements for major international events.
The former minister pointed to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, as an example of how countries can collaborate on major international events.
He suggested that African countries could explore similar arrangements when pursuing large international conferences, exhibitions and other events.
Such cooperation, he said, could allow countries to share infrastructure, expertise and economic benefits.
Using Lagos as an example, Mohammed said Nigeria’s commercial capital has significant cultural and economic resources that could support the MICE sector.
He recalled a study commissioned while he was minister which he said estimated that around 20,000 events took place in Lagos every month.
He also pointed to the growth of “Detty December” as an example of how major events can generate business across different industries.
According to him, the economic impact extends beyond entertainment to aviation, hotels, transportation, fashion, media, technology and retail.
Mohammed identified infrastructure as one of the major obstacles limiting Africa’s ability to compete for international trade events.
According to him, successful MICE destinations require reliability: airports, hotels, conference centers, transport networks, digital infrastructure, electricity and other public services.
He also highlighted limited intra-African air connectivity and visa restrictions as obstacles to the growth of business tourism.
Mohammed called for measures to make it easier for international and African delegates to travel to events across the continent.
His proposals included: improved air connectivity, e-visa systems, visa-on-arrival arrangements where appropriate, expedited processing for accredited conference participants.
He argued that difficulties in moving people between African countries could limit the continent’s ability to build a competitive regional MICE industry.
Mohammed said MICE development is closely linked to the broader investment environment.
He warned that political uncertainty and weak institutions could undermine efforts to attract international investors and events.
“Africa must not just sell its opportunities. It must sell credibility,” he said.
He also cited Rwanda as an example of how a smaller country could position itself as a regional platform for international business and events.
Mohammed urged governments to reconsider how they evaluate the success of conferences and exhibitions.
He believes the number of people attending an event or the number of hotel rooms occupied should not be the only indicators of success.
Governments should instead look at: investments attracted, business meetings conducted, trade generated, partnerships established, jobs created.
According to him, these indicators would provide a better picture of the economic value generated by corporate events.
Mohammed proposed that each African country establish a National Convention Bureau responsible for coordinating the development of its MICE industry.
Such agencies, he said, should help countries: bid for international events, coordinate government and private sector efforts, support business visitors, collect MICE industry data, measure economic impact.
He argued that the ultimate test of a successful event should be what happens after the delegates return home.
“The true measure of a successful corporate event is not simply how many people attended, but what happened because they attended,” he said.
The two-day summit attracted delegates from 19 countries.
The event was formally opened by Mohamed Osman Ali, Mombasa County Executive for Tourism, Culture and Trade.
Discussions focused on how African destinations can use meetings, conferences, exhibitions and business events to strengthen tourism, investment and economic cooperation.
