Travel/Tourism
Using Palm Wine Exportation To Attract Foreign Tourists
By Olukayode Kolawole
I arrived in the forest. I met the forest lord
He offers me bush meat
I am not here to hunt for bush meat
I journey deep down the ocean
I met the queen of the coast
She offers me fish to eat
I am not here to fish either
On my way back home
I met the palm wine tapper
He gave me some wine to drink
Sozzled and blotto I got home
And then I forget my sorrow
– David Adeyemo –
Nigeria is a country blessed with so many natural and agricultural resources. We are so much blessed that we seem to have these resources in excess as compared to almost all the countries in the African continent. Whether we’re using these resources to our advantage or not is a different ball game entirely. I recently stumbled on United Nation World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) website to check out some of the programmes it has lined up for the last quarter of the year. In the coming months, the apex tourism body will be organizing a wine tourism conference in collaboration with the Georgian National Tourism Administration. The press release on its website stated: “Georgia’s unique winemaking traditions date back 8,000 years and are considered by UNESCO as intangible heritage, making the country an ideal host for the Global Conference on Wine Tourism. The country’s recent success in attracting a growing number of tourists and its development of tourism products, branding and marketing, combine to present an excellent platform for sharing best practices, experience and knowledge.” Wine tourism, did you say?
What wine is better than our locally tapped palm wine? If you have ever been served palm wine in any part of Nigeria especially the west and the east regions, you would be able to testify that nothing beats the taste of our freshly tapped unadulterated palm wine. On the other hand, what beats my imagination is the fact that we’re not doing anything grand with this quintessential alcoholic beverage beyond just consuming it locally and may be a few exportations. We can still do so much more. And surprisingly, there is a huge market for this natural product abroad. The revenue generated every year locally is nothing compared to what we can earn as a country if we intensify exportation of this product. The product has the potential of generating millions of dollars every year if done properly and supported with the necessary marketing efforts.
Palm wine has many names it is known by depending on the region. For instance, in Nigeria it is called emu, oguro, nkwu enu, nkwu ocha, palmy, or tombo liquor. Palm wine is indeed indispensable in many ceremonies in some parts of Nigeria especially among the Ibo people. Guests at weddings, birthday celebrations and funeral wakes are usually served charitably. For instance, a young man who is going for his first introduction at his in-laws place is required to go with palm wine. Depending on the customs of various towns, there are specific gallons of palm wine required for such an event.
Sometimes, it can also be used as a healing agent. It is often mixed with medicinal herbs to cure a wide variety of physical illnesses. Many drinking sessions will often begin with a small amount of palm wine spilled on the ground as a token of respect to deceased ancestors. Women as well as men enjoy drinking palm wine. Although the former consumes it less often in public.
Palm wine tapping is both an art and a science. Ask our Ibo brothers in the East and the Yoruba farmers in the West. It takes certain specialized skills that are learnt over a course of time to be able to master the art and perfect it. It commands more respect than any other alcoholic beverage among the rural and urban dwellers in Nigeria. There are also other alcoholic beverages that are derivatives from fermented palm wine while some others such as Ogogoro (dry gin), Burukutu are locally brewed drinks made from guinea corn or wheat. There are different types of palm wine but the type that’s sourced from either Raffia palm or palm oil tree are the original palm wine. Although, they are a bit more expensive and considered the king of all local wines.
Here are a number of fun facts about palm wine in Nigeria: (1) Palm wine is usually the official drink for all traditional marriages. In fact, it’s in most times included in the bride price list (a list of items to be procured by the groom to-be before a woman is given out in marriage by her family). (2) Getting unadulterated palm wine is indeed very difficult; most are mixed with other drinks by greedy sellers to maximize profit. (3) In the rural areas, palm wine often accompanies (and usually the best drink) pepper soup, Ugba, Nkwobi and Isi Ewu (goat head).
Having looked at the great potentials palm wine wields and the inherent implication on our culture as a country, it is a course of wisdom to create festivals or conferences that will bring tourists from other countries to come into our country, considering the fact that we’re at a point where growing our hospitality and tourism industry is especially important. Organizing an annual Palm Wine Festival, or something of that sort will boost the inflow of tourists into our country which will directly contribute to the economy. For instance, more jobs will be created, more hotels, including those on Jumia Travel platform will experience increase in patronage, airlines will make more sales and several other attendant benefits. A typical festival will need about three to six months to plan and will gulp between N4m – N10m. But the ROI will likely triple the expenditure and once this becomes a yearly event, an additional source of income will definitely emerge.
Beyond hosting a palm wine festival or conference or whatever nomenclature we eventually come up with, I think it’s also important for public private partnership to promote, on a large scale, the exportation of unadulterated palm wine to neighbouring countries and major European countries. We stand to benefit immensely from its export. We only need to get the packaging right and voila, the orders will start coming in. However, before we start intensifying commercialization of this product, local promoters should make conscious effort to get as many Nigerians as possible to start making demands. Thankfully, ecommerce has changed the way everything is done. It’s not improbable for a seller to open a platform on any of the online marketplaces and support it with appropriate publicity. We will go beyond local consumption to selling to other continents. But first, we need to grow local demands for the product.
The journey to building our country to Africa’s number one tourist destination is filled with many road bumps. But every step we take should always be in the right direction. Else, things might just fall apart.
Olukayode Kolawole is the Head of PR and Marketing at Jumia Travel NG.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian cross-border logistics company, Cargoplug, is making inroads into the United Kingdom market with the launch of its first self-managed hub, which will allow the firm to manage operations directly, reducing delivery timelines whilst offering more affordable shipping rates.
According to a statement, the move comes in response to growing and evolving customer demands and the corresponding need to bolster its service offerings across the UK-Nigeria trade route.
As trade volumes and diaspora connections between Nigeria and the UK continue to surge, Cargoplug wants to capitalise on the opportunity while also tapping into initiatives like the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP), which is projected to further boost trade between the two nations.
With this expansion, Cargoplug, which is backed by Techstars D.C. Accelerator Program, supported by JP Morgan, strengthens its position as a key player in transatlantic logistics, delivering faster shipping, competitive rates, and smooth import-export services between Europe and both nations by air and sea.
Founded in Nigeria in 2013 by Mrs Kikelomo Fola-Ogunniya and Mrs Ujama Akpata, Cargoplug (formerly Jand2Gidi) started with a mission to solve the everyday challenges people face when sending and receiving goods between the UK and Nigeria.
The duo created a solution that fixed the pain points experienced by individuals and businesses, ensuring a faster, transparent, more affordable, and reliable service banking on its proprietary technology to also serve B2B and B2B2C markets.
In addition, Cargoplug offers seamless API integrations with clients, including e-commerce platforms, logistics providers and global lifestyle brands. This enables clients to improve service delivery and revenue flows by offering the same value-added logistics services to their customers, spanning efficient cross-border and nationwide deliveries and covering everything from overseas pickup and customs clearing to insurance and last-mile delivery.
Also, the company has already fulfilled over 1 million packages in the past 12 years and is now one of the fastest-growing logistics partners for high-growth businesses in fashion, manufacturing, construction, procurement and oil services.
Mrs Fola-Ogunniya, co-founder at Cargoplug commented, “After over a decade of exponential growth through valued partnerships, we’re thrilled to launch our first self-run UK hub. This sees us doubling down on our commitment to being the go-to logistics firm for the movement of goods between the UK and Nigeria. This is a mission that originated after our firsthand experience of the challenges of costly, delayed, and opaque shipping fees, tariffs and processes after returning to Nigeria from studying in the UK. Establishing our on-the-ground presence here was the natural next step in our growth as a company, even as we now set sights on some of our other high traffic markets such as the US, Turkey and China”
“With our new UK hub, customers can now either drop off their goods, send them to us directly, or have us pick up from anywhere in the UK,” added Mrs Akpata, co-founder of Cargoplug. “We are now able to streamline operations and cut our prices, all while maintaining our reliable weekly Thursday dispatch and 7 to 10 working day delivery window. We look forward to better serving our growing customer base and delivering the trusted, seamless logistics experience Cargoplug is known for.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) and the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have signed a direct international mail partnership to boost delivery and ease bottlenecks around Nigerian logistics.
The Postmaster General of NIPOST, Mrs Tola Odeyemi, confirmed this agreement between both parties, describing its as a milestone in many years.
According to Mrs Odeyemi, NIPOST operated without any direct partnerships with international airlines, relying heavily on multiple third-party handlers, resulting in delays, higher costs, and uncertainty around the delivery of packages.
“With this new partnership, KLM will now handle our outbound international mail directly, with no middlemen involved,” she wrote in the announcement on X, formerly, known as Twitter, noting that the deal will bring faster and more reliable delivery, reduced risk of loss or damage, lower handling charges, and access to over 200 countries through KLM’s global network.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the national carrier of the Netherlands and offers services – passenger and cargoes – to 164 destinations worldwide and boasts about 116 aircrafts as of 2025.
“This breakthrough is possible because we have begun clearing longstanding debts owed to international carriers. We are actively working to rebuild global trust, and this partnership is only the first of many doors that will reopen,” she added.
She also noted that NIPOST is currently in strategic discussions with Ethiopian Airlines to serve African and Eastern routes, further strengthening the country’s regional and continental logistics framework.
“Our goal is clear and unwavering: to connect Nigeria regionally and globally, efficiently, securely, and affordably,” she noted.
The NIPOST chief also noted that the development serves as a major win for Nigerian businesses especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
According to her, some of the benefits cover those who export goods, or sell products online, as it introduces quicker, more affordable international shipping, greater peace of mind with improved reliability, and new potential to reach and grow in global markets.
“I remain grateful to the incredible teams working diligently behind the scenes, and to every Nigerian who continues to believe in our mission. We are not just delivering mail, we are delivering solutions and moving Nigeria forward,” she added.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The pilot of the helicopter crash that led to the death of the chief executive of Access Holdings Plc, Mr Herbert Wigwe, and two other members of his nuclear family and a friend on February 9, 2024, in the United States has been blamed for the incident.
In its report, the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also blamed the company for “inadequate oversight of its safety management processes.”
Mr Wigwe died in the air mishap alongside his wife, Mrs Doreen, his son, Mr Chizi, and a friend, Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, who chaired the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc.
They died after the small aircraft with registration number N130CZ carrying six persons crashed near the Nevada border in California. They were going for a match in the US when the unfortunate incident happened.
In the report released on Wednesday, the safety board noted that the crash occurred due to the pilot’s inability to navigate effectively in some conditions.
“The probable cause of this accident [was] the pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control,” a part of the report stated.
It was observed that during the flight, the pilot had communicated with the company’s Director of Maintenance (DOM) about an issue with the radar altimeter, which remained non-functional despite attempts to fix it.
The NTSB further revealed that after arriving at the airport to pick up the passengers, the pilot and a company flight follower engaged in a phone conversation but failed to discuss the status of the radar altimeter or the current weather conditions, both of which could have impacted the flight’s safety.
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