[citation needed] After studying geography at the University of Ibadan and graduating in 1985, he served in the National Youth Service Corps in Bauchi.

He returned to the University of Ibadan in 1988 to obtain his Masters Degree for Science in geography with an emphasis on environmental planning and remote sensing.

It is the only international travel expo in West Africa in partnership with NTDC, listed by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), partner event with National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA),[4] and the only member of International Tourism Trade Fairs Association (ITTFA) in West Africa.

According to Uko, it focuses on forecast, market, and political analyses, which observe developments in travel, transport, and tourism from a global perspective and their impact on countries' economies.

[8] On 3 July 2015, he launched Accra Weizo, an event targeted at the founding vision of ECOWAS: to create a region of one people integrating and growing together.

Accra Weizo rallies travel professionals together to meet minds and work out a pathway for the future of the African region, hosting tourism, aviation, and immigration key players and decision makers.

[18] Ikechi Uko's expertise in tourism was evident at the 2017 Calabar Carnival, with the Cross River State government receiving accolades for hosting the event to international standard.

In January 2016, The African Sun Times, Africa's number one and largest newspaper in America, awarded Ikechi Uko, as its Tourism Ambassador of the Year 2015.