Why I’m writing about hospitality in Nigeria

Olubukola Akanbi — a communications, marketing and hospitality practitioner — introduces her new weekly column on Nigerian hospitality, exploring guest experience, service culture and the details that make spaces truly memorable.

Welcome to my table

I came into hospitality through a different door. My background is in broadcasting, PR, and events management, and it was never my original plan to write about restaurants, hotels, or the quiet art of making people feel at home.

But plans have a way of evolving. And so did I.

Olubukola Akanbi

For over a decade, I worked with Inspirio Productions, a media and events company where we brought some of Lagos’ most iconic cultural moments to life. The Keziah Jones Concert. The Smooth FM Luxury Concert with Angie Stone. The MUSON Jazz Festival. The Lagos International Jazz Festival.

These were not small productions. They were experiences. And my job, in every single one of them, was to make sure that every person who walked through those doors felt it deeply and went home with a memory worth keeping.

Every Role Taught Me Something Different

Over ten years at Inspiro Productions, I moved through almost every role the company had: receptionist, executive assistant, sales and marketing executive, assistant events manager, and finally events manager. I was also, for most of that time, the only woman on the team who lasted long enough to grow through all those roles.

I say that not to boast, but because it shaped how I see things.

The receptionist learns how first impressions are made or broken in seconds. The executive assistant learns what it means to anticipate a need before it is spoken. The events manager learns that no matter how flawless the logistics, if the guest does not feel genuinely cared for, the event has not fully succeeded.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

These were not lessons from a classroom. They were earned on the job, in real time, under pressure, and they have stayed with me ever since.

The Question That Changed Everything

My love for organising, coordinating, and tending to guests opened doors to some remarkable projects beyond Inspiro. The first Plus Size Fashion Week in Nigeria. Microsoft Combat Code Week. Social Media Week Lagos.

Photo by Jim Nyamao on Unsplash

Each one came with its own audience, its own demands, its own definition of what a good experience should look and feel like.

And through every single one of them, I found myself returning to the same question: are the people here actually being looked after? Not just managed. Not just directed from one point to the next. But genuinely looked after?

That question led me here. Hospitality was not my initial career destination. It was a gradual evolution, driven by constant observation and a growing awareness that the spaces we inhabit either honour us or quietly diminish us.

What I Look For When I Walk Into a Room

I am the woman who notices when a powder room has been thoughtfully stocked with feminine essentials for a girls’ night out mishap. That small gesture tells me everything about how much a host has thought about her guests before they arrived.

Photo by Kate Townsend on Unsplash

I believe that smell is not a decorative afterthought. It is a full sensory experience that can define a space entirely. I have walked into restaurants where the food aroma overwhelmed everything else, and I have walked into spaces where the scent was so carefully considered that it lingered in my memory long after I left. That is not accidental. That is intentional hospitality.

I pay attention to lighting, aesthetics, and whether a space has been designed with genuine thought or simply decorated for photographs. I watch how staff carry themselves, how they greet guests, and how they respond when something goes wrong.

Photo by Johan Mouchet on Unsplash

I also think carefully about pricing. In a landscape with no standard regulation, prices have become entirely subjective, and guests are often left confused about what they are paying for. Food must arrive well presented, thoughtfully prepared, and in reasonable time. These things matter. They are the difference between a guest who returns and one who quietly moves on.

This Column Is an Invitation

I write about the Nigerian hospitality landscape specifically. Lagos is the entry point, the benchmark, the city that sets the tone for what hospitality looks and feels like across the country. And while there is so much here to celebrate, there is also much that needs to be examined, questioned, and honestly discussed.

I am not here to tear anything down. I am here to hold up a mirror, ask better questions, and advocate for the kind of hospitality that makes people feel truly seen and genuinely welcomed.

I am still learning, still visiting, still deepening my understanding of this industry. But I am learning deliberately, and I am bringing you with me.

Photo by Namnso Ukpanah on Unsplash

Because at the heart of it all is a belief I hold firmly: hospitality, done well, is one of the most profound expressions of respect one human being can offer another.

And that is absolutely worth writing about.

With over 15 years in broadcasting, PR and events management, Akanbi’s column [Welcome to my Table] will cover hospitality, guest experience and the evolving dining and lifestyle culture in Nigeria.