Heirs Insurance Travel Festival gathers diplomats and creators in Lagos to demand fairer visa rules and an inclusive travel ecosystem for Africans
The Heirs Insurance Travel Festival drew thousands to Harbour Point, Victoria Island, on Saturday as the inaugural edition pushed a powerful call for fairer travel policies and easier visa access for Africans.
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The event brought together diplomats, travel creators, business leaders, and young Nigerians in a high-energy gathering that blended culture, advocacy, and strategic dialogue.
Ambassador Manuel Innocencio de Lacerda Santos Junior, Consul General of Brazil in Lagos; Ambassador Jose Bamóquina Zau, Angola’s Ambassador to Nigeria; Stephanie Busari, CEO of SBB Media; and moderator Jonathan Hanson opened the festival with a session on passport power and diplomacy.
The speakers stressed the urgent need for simplified visa processes, stronger border systems, and harmonised travel rules to support seamless mobility across Africa.
A creator session titled Where Your Nigerian Passport Can Take You deepened the advocacy.
Travel creators Zim Erobu, Adenike Tejuoso, and Steven Ndukwu, led by Ifesinachi Okpagu, Chief Marketing Officer of Heirs Insurance Group, called for a borderless Africa.
They urged embassies to refund rejected visa fees, describing the current costs as crippling for many travellers. Their remarks sparked enthusiastic engagement from the audience.
Speaking later, Okpagu said the company launched the festival to highlight gaps in Africa’s travel environment. She said access, safety, and empowerment must be available to all travellers.
She added that Heirs Insurance is building platforms and partnerships to improve global mobility for Africans while uniting travel communities.
The festival marked a decisive step in expanding national conversation on travel equity, strengthening Heirs Insurance Group’s position as a business committed to innovation, social impact, and experiential engagement.
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The company, part of the pan-African Heirs Holdings portfolio, continues to push financial inclusion and digital insurance across Nigeria through Heirs General Insurance, Heirs Life Assurance, and Heirs Insurance Brokers.
