Lagos hospitality and lifestyle businesses are increasingly looking beyond social media visibility for customer retention, repeat patronage and technology-driven engagement. This
was a central theme at Awari Business Connect (ABC) 2026, where Awari unveiled an
expanded technology platform designed to connect consumers with the businesses and
experiences shaping the city’s lifestyle economy.
Held on October 16 at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the event
brought together entrepreneurs, hospitality operators, tourism stakeholders, technology
companies, creators, and government representatives to explore growth opportunities in
the city’s expanding lifestyle sector.
Formerly known as the lifestyle discovery and media platform Lost in Lagos, Awari is evolving into a technology ecosystem that helps consumers discover places, events, and experiences while equipping businesses with tools to attract, engage, and retain customers.
The event showcased this evolution through product demonstrations, industry conversations, and announcements, including a partnership with the Lagos State Government’s tourism authorities and the introduction of the Awari Loyalty Network
(ALN).
Speaking at the event, Tannaz Bahnam, founder and chief executive officer of Awari, reflected on the company’s 16-year journey and its evolution alongside Lagos’ growing cultural and commercial influence.
‘For 16 years, we have been learning how people explore their cities and what businesses need
to reach them. As the world increasingly looks to Lagos for its art, music, fashion, food, culture
and creativity, Awari brings those lessons together in a new way.
‘We are moving from helping people discover where to go to building an ecosystem that helps
them experience more of their city and helps the businesses behind those experiences grow,’ Bahnam said.
Awari Business Connect is about connection because our restaurants, stores, creators, and
entrepreneurs are what make a city worth discovering. In many ways, you are Awari.’
The platform’s expanded capabilities address a challenge facing businesses across
restaurants, hotels, entertainment, wellness, retail and other lifestyle categories: turning
consumer interest into transactions and lasting relationships.
Oladapo Bolarinwa, head of Technology and Co-Founder of Awari, explained that the
platform was developed to address these challenges by bringing discovery, engagement and
business tools into a more connected environment.
‘Businesses are constantly competing for attention on conventional social media platforms,
where their content sits alongside influencer posts, entertainment and breaking news. Even
when customers show interest, businesses still have to manage enquiries across different
channels before that interest translates into a transaction.
‘Awari is designed to give businesses a more intentional environment where customers can
discover their offerings and engage with them. By bringing visibility, promotions, ticketing
and loyalty tools together, we want to help businesses move beyond being seen to building
stronger customer relationships and encouraging repeat patronage.’
Through features including Awari Social, Explore and Ads Manager, businesses can
showcase their offerings, publish promotional content and reach potential customers. The
platform also features Ask Awari, an AI-powered discovery tool that helps users find
recommendations and information, and Awari Assist, designed to help businesses manage
customer enquiries and facilitate transactions.
Additional capabilities, including bookings, ticketing, promotions, customer insights and
loyalty incentives, support the broader objective of connecting consumer discovery with
business growth.
A key announcement at ABC 2026 was the introduction of the Awari Loyalty Network,
scheduled to launch in January 2027. The platform is designed to connect corporate loyalty
programmes, lifestyle merchants and customers, creating opportunities for consumers to
redeem loyalty benefits across participating businesses. For merchants, the network offers
a potential route to reach new customer segments and encourage repeat spending beyond
their individual establishments.
The event also highlighted Awari’s partnership with the Lagos State Government’s tourism
authorities, reflecting a shared ambition to strengthen Lagos’ position as a global lifestyle
destination. As the city attracts growing attention for its hospitality, food, fashion, music,
arts and entertainment, collaboration between government and private-sector businesses
will be important in improving the visibility and accessibility of its diverse experiences.
Through ABC, the company aims to create a platform for practical conversations,
partnerships and technology adoption among the businesses contributing to Lagos’ lifestyle
economy. The 2026 edition reinforced the importance of connecting discovery with
customer experience and retention, while demonstrating how technology can support
businesses as they compete in an increasingly dynamic market.