By Ernest Bako WUBONTO (Lomé-Togo)
Ghana has solidified its position as a powerhouse in the African tourism and leisure industry by emerging as the biggest winner at the seventh edition of the Hospitality Awards Africa (HAA), held in Lomé, Togo. The HAA is the continent’s premier awards scheme dedicated to recognising and promoting excellence, innovation and leadership within the hospitality and tourism industry.
Ghanaian professionals and brands secured an impressive 14 prestigious accolades, far surpassing all other participating countries, with Nigeria and the host nation, Togo, also securing significant honours.
The final tally saw Ghana lead the continental field with 14 awards, followed by Nigeria with six, and host country Togo with three. Other winners included Ethiopia with two awards and Kenya, Burundi, South Africa, Cameroon and Tanzania each securing one award.
This remarkable performance underscores the depth of talent and excellence thriving within the Ghanaian hospitality ecosystem. Held under the theme ‘Celebrating Africa’s Authentic Hospitality Culture’, the event was a vibrant showcase of tradition and talent, with attendees in stunning traditional attire. The night underscored a continent-wide commitment to elevating service standards and innovation.
Building a unified continental industry
Nigerian Hospitality and Tourism Expert and Head of the Hospitality Business School (HBS), Lagos, Dr. Eric Mekwuye, in his keynote address, underscored the need to create a unified continental industry unique from Europe, America and Asia.
He emphasised that Africa holds a unique advantage in language, food and fashion that could be leveraged interconnectedly to boost the hospitality industry and attract more tourists globally, translating into more cash flow for economic development. “Africa’s cultural assets in language, food and fashion are powerful levers for hospitality growth and tourism-driven economic development.
“A tribe in Ghana has a word, ‘Akwaaba’, which means welcome. This language is a powerful one that is often used in Nigeria. I even saw it here in the lobby at the Hotel 2 Fevrier in Lomé, Togo, and it is also used in other African countries. We can start with that and make it the official greeting language across Africa and stop using welcome,” he said.
Dr. Mekwuye also highlighted the need to strive for professionalism in the hospitality industry, stressing that excellence in this sector is about service provision – the human factor, and not the edifice or grand decorations in the building.
Way forward for the hospitality industry
Ghana’s High Commissioner to Togo, Captain (Rtd.) George Nfojoh, commended the hospitality industry in Ghana for the remarkable performance in Togo. He emphasised that the way forward for consolidating the gains made in the hospitality industry is training and retraining to keep newly-employed and existing staff updated with the best global practices.
He urged hospitality facilities to desist from just employing anyone and immediately putting them in a uniform; but rather, to provide basic training on the dos and don’ts in service provision. “Training is very important in this industry. Facility managers must desist from just picking people who leave SHS and putting them in uniform to operate. Every new worker must be trained on what customers desire moving forward and with that, Ghana will continue to lead on the continent,” he said.
Honouring the continent’s best
The ceremony recognised outstanding individuals across a wide range of categories, from management and operations to digital influence and lifetime achievement. The strong performance across management, service and influential categories signals a robust and high-quality standard for Ghana’s travel and tourism sector, positioning it as a continental leader committed to world-class service delivery.
A strategic move to Togo
Executive Director of HAA, Eugene Vidzro, said: “Bringing the awards to Togo was a strategic decision to shine a continental spotlight on another vibrant hospitality destination. Tonight was not just about recognising individuals, but about unifying the industry. Ghana’s stellar performance, alongside winners from across Africa, proves that excellence is our shared language. We are proud to have created a platform that both honours achievement and authentically celebrates our rich cultures.”
The 2025 HAA’s successful relocation to Lomé fulfilled its core mission of rotational hosting. It has also set a new benchmark for celebrating pan-African excellence, promising an even brighter future for the continent’s hospitality and tourism sector.
Key winners from the evening included:
- Daniel Ludwig – General Manager of the Year- 5-star category (Ethiopia)
- Ann Peggy Ashira – General Manager of the Year- 4-star category (Kenya)
- Lolita Fiadjoe – Front Office Manager of the Year- 4-star category (Ghana)
- Esther Asare Bediako – Front Office Manager of the Year 3-Star (Ghana)
- Sandra Essel – Hospitality Professional of the Year, Female category (Ghana)
- Ekua Zara Ghartey-Tsagli – Honorary Award & Top 50 Women in Hospitality and Tourism Industry in Africa (Ghana)
- Eyram Kodjo – Honorary Award (Togo)
- Nadia Buxton – Rising Star Female category (Ghana)
- Ernest Owiredu – Engineer of the Year (Ghana)
- Melissa Bediako – Sales and Marketing Director of the Year (Ghana)
- Olivia Bimpeh-Tetteh – Human Resource Manager of the Year (Ghana)
- Omololu Olumuyiwa – Top 5 Hospitality & Tourism Influencer in Africa (Nigeria)
- Kwabena Ackon (Wode Maya) -Top 5 Hospitality & Tourism Influencer in Africa (Ghana)
- Kojo Aidoo – Top 5 Hospitality & Tourism Influencer in Africa (Ghana)
- Herman Wandji – Top 5 Hospitality & Tourism Influencer in Africa (Cameroon)
- Udey Precious Enyiomachi – Top 5 Hospitality & Tourism Influencer in Africa (Nigeria)
- Lydia Nduati – The Legacy Award, Female category (Ghana)
- Abena Twumwaa Asubonteng – Honorary Award (Ghana)
- Thomas Noll – HAA Hall of Fame (Togo)
- Stanley Agade – General Manager of the Year (Burundi)
- Ds Souza Lucile Christiane – Honorary Award (Togo)
- George Osae – Executive Chef of the Year (Ghana)
- Tiaam Schultz – Food and Beverage Director of the Year (South Africa)
- Alex Essilfie – Rooms Divisions Manager of the Year (Nigeria)
- Mercy Orleans-Lindsay – Executive Housekeeper of the Year (Ghana)
- Joshua Alabi – Bar Manager of the Year (Ghana)
- Adhiraj Mitra – Honorary Award (Nigeria)
- Emmanuel Elle – Honorary Award (Nigeria)
- Uzoamaka Oshogwe – The Legacy Awards, Female category (Nigeria)
- Williams Thompson – The Legacy Award, Male category (Ghana)
The post Ghana triumphs with 14 awards, dominating 7th ‘Hospitality Awards Africa’ in Lomé appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.
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