Wakanow, Africa’s leading online travel group, has acquired Nairabox, Nigeria’s well-known digital platform for event and cinema ticketing. The deal extends Wakanow’s remit from flights and hotels to the broader experience economy where travel, entertainment, and payments converge. It was signposted in a statement from Nairabox co-founder Ugochukwu Jay Chikezie and aligns with Wakanow’s push to make lifestyle discovery and booking a single, connected journey.
Strategic Rationale
The acquisition builds on Wakanow’s 2024 reorganization into a group structure and the rollout of new products such as Kalabash for fintech services and RoomDe for accommodation. Group CEO Bayo Adedeji has argued that Africa’s tourism is underpenetrated, noting the continent’s large share of global population compared with its small slice of global tourism activity. “We see tremendous opportunity in the intersection of travel and entertainment,” Adedeji said, adding that richer experiences depend on how people engage with culture, not only where they go.
Nairabox Heritage and Leadership
Founded in 2015, Nairabox pioneered barcode ticketing for movies and concerts in Nigeria, selling more than 10 million tickets and cultivating deep ties with cinemas, concert promoters, and food vendors. The brand has grown into a household name for lifestyle access, with a user experience tuned to rapid discovery and checkout. Under Wakanow, Tobi Andero will lead Nairabox as Head of Business, with a mandate to scale the platform’s footprint across Africa and integrate more categories of live and on-demand experiences.
Product Integration and Ecosystem Ambition
Wakanow’s existing stack, including the Pay Small Small installment feature and the Amina AI chatbot for customer support, gives the combined business multiple ways to bundle and personalize itineraries. Travelers will be able to plan end-to-end journeys that pair flights and rooms with concerts, cinema, and other cultural events inside one ecosystem. That unification aims to increase frequency, expand average order value, and position Wakanow as a lifestyle technology hub rather than a pure travel intermediary.
Market Context and Timing
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the timing tracks a broader shift in Africa’s digital economy from single-purpose apps to integrated lifestyle platforms. Industry estimates cited around the transaction point to an entertainment and travel opportunity approaching $15 billion in the near term and potentially reaching $38 billion by 2028 as connectivity, payments, and urban leisure markets mature. Capturing that upside will rely on seamless payments, localized content partnerships, and the ability to translate offline cultural demand into repeatable, bookable digital experiences.
Stakeholder Perspectives
Chikezie framed the sale as the next chapter for Nairabox and for Nigerian entertainment, emphasizing a future where access to unforgettable experiences becomes simpler and more connected. He noted that he and Adedeji began sale discussions in 2022 and that their vision for the brand’s direction aligned closely throughout the process. “This marks an exciting chapter for Nairabox and for entertainment in Nigeria,” he said, highlighting how the Wakanow platform can accelerate reach and depth across categories.
Execution Considerations
Integration will require careful work across product, data, and brand to merge travel discovery with real-time ticketing without adding friction. Wakanow must also scale beyond Nigeria while respecting local licensing, promoter relationships, and content calendars that differ from market to market. Success will depend on delivering a consistent experience, growing merchant supply, and using insights from travel intent to recommend relevant events that convert.
By bringing Nairabox into its ecosystem, Wakanow is reframing travel in Africa as a connected sequence of cultural moments rather than a set of isolated bookings. If executed well, the strategy could deepen loyalty, unlock new revenue streams, and set a template for how African consumers discover and purchase lifestyle experiences. The acquisition signals a clear intent to shape the continent’s experience economy, one integrated journey at a time.