Runsewe hails Dayo Adedayo’s Africa’s Best Tourism Photographer award, urges Nigeria to celebrate him
Says 40 years of documenting Nigeria’s culture and heritage have earned him global recognition
Maureen Aguta
Former Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has congratulated renowned Nigerian photographer, Mr. Dayo Adedayo, on his emergence as Africa’s Best Tourism Photographer of the Year 2026 at the African Tourism Awards in London.
Runsewe described the award as a victory for Nigeria and a triumph for African storytelling, saying Adedayo’s recognition was a testament to more than four decades of commitment to documenting the country’s rich cultural heritage, tourism attractions and natural endowments.
In a congratulatory message issued on Tuesday, November 11, 2026, Runsewe, who is President of the Nigeria Golf Federation and World Crafts Council (Africa Region), described the honour as well deserved, considering Adedayo’s outstanding contributions to the growth and development of tourism in Nigeria and across Africa.
He recalled working with the award-winning photographer during his tenure as Director-General of NTDC, describing him as a passionate, innovative and committed professional whose work has helped promote Nigeria’s tourism potential to international audiences.
” I recall with a deep sense of nostalgia the passion you brought to bear in discharging your duties in all our encounters during my tenure as the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation. You were such an exciting and highly innovative person to work with,” Runsewe said.
He added that the award was further recognition of Adedayo’s invaluable contributions to the African travel and tourism industry and should inspire him to do more in promoting Nigeria as a leading tourism destination.
According to Runsewe, Adedayo’s achievement is particularly significant because of his consistent efforts over four decades to document Nigeria’s diverse tourism assets, cultural festivals, traditional institutions, landscapes and people.
He noted that through extensive travels across the country’s 36 states, Adedayo had built an impressive photographic collection of about four million images, providing a visual record of Nigeria’s cultural identity, historical heritage and tourism opportunities.
Runsewe said the photographer had continued to project Nigeria positively at a time when the country’s image was often challenged by negative international narratives.
He stressed that visual documentation remained critical to tourism development, arguing that destinations needed compelling images to attract visitors, investors and international attention.
“A destination without images is a destination without visitors. Adedayo gave Nigeria images. And now, the world is coming to see what he showed them,” he said.
The former NTDC chief urged the Federal Government, the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), private sector operators and stakeholders in the culture and tourism industry to recognise Adedayo as a national asset and give greater support to his work.
He maintained that the photographer’s international recognition should serve as a wake-up call for Nigeria to invest more deliberately in documenting and promoting its tourism resources.
Runsewe also called on Nigerians to take ownership of the country’s tourism narrative by documenting their cultural heritage and telling their stories through authentic local perspectives.
He said Nigeria must not leave the responsibility of projecting its identity and attractions entirely to foreign observers, whose interpretations might not adequately reflect the country’s cultural richness.
“Let us document Nigeria. Let us photograph Nigeria. Let us tell our story ourselves, before others tell it for us, wrongly,” he urged.
Congratulating Adedayo once again, Runsewe said the photographer’s four decades of professional commitment deserved national recognition and institutional support.
He called for the strategic use of Adedayo’s extensive photographic collection in marketing Nigeria’s tourism attractions to the international community.
“Congratulations, Dayo Adedayo. Nigeria is proud. The world is watching,” he added.