Category 3 – Changemakers
This category is for renowned experts, founders, and leaders who are taking creative actions to grow and develop the Nigerian tourism industry.
1. Dr. Adun Okupe – Senior Advisor, Red Clay Advisory
Adun Okupe, CA PhD is a leading researcher and expert in the fields of tourism, sustainable cultural practices and leadership for societal change. She is a Senior Advisor with Red Clay Advisory, a tourism advisory practice; Host of the West African Tourism Roundtable Series, and faculty member at the prestigious Lagos Business School.
Dr. Adun has over 15 years’ research and advisory experience in infrastructure and development advisory services in the tourism and leisure industry as well as advising on the leisure component of urban planning in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. She has worked with several organizations.
She is also the founder of The Sahara Centre, a not for profit committed to the development of the creative economy in Nigeria through research and policymaking and INDIGO, an eco-friendly shared workspace in Lagos, Nigeria. She is the President and a Board Member of Zonta eClub of West Africa, a part of Zonta International and sits on the advisory group of Open House Lagos and is a member of the Academy of International Business. She led the research on the Lagos State COVID-19 Relief Committee for the creative industries and with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) on understanding the effectiveness of interventions in the creative industries.
2. Akinlawon Adams – Director, Loving Lagos
Akinlawon Adams is passionate about tourism, heritage and cultural preservation. He founded The Loving Lagos (Onikan House) and Loving Lagos Beach and Resorts, known as one of the biggest hubs for cultural exchange in Nigeria. Located in the heart of Lagos Island, the Loving Lagos showcases the beauty, splendor and rich history and heritage of Lagos.
As the Director of Loving Lagos, he has continued to foster relationships with the Afrobrazillian community in Lagos via cultural exhibitions across the streets of Lagos. They have also contributed to sell Lagos tourism through talk shows, holidays getaways, hangouts, museum tours, food and drinks exhibition, fashion and style exhibition and a host of others. His organization was awarded the 2021 Best Tourism Attraction by the Nigeria Tourism Award.
3. Amaka Amatokwu-Ndekwu – Co-Founder, African Association of Women in Tourism & Hospitality & Founder, The Pyne Africa Awards
Amaka Amatokwu-Ndekwu is a Nigeria and US based award-winning hospitality professional with a proven history of tenacity, strong drive, passion and leadership for over 10 years. She is the Co-founder African Association of Women In Tourism and Hospitality, and Founder, Past- President and Board Chairperson of The Women in Hospitality Nigeria (WIHN). Both associations were established with a vision of being the voice of assistance for all females in the hospitality and tourism industries and also leading the paradigm shift in gender equality and governance in the hospitality and tourism industries in Nigeria and Africa
She has contributed to the reforms, reshaping, growth and socio-economic development of the hospitality & tourism industry in Nigeria. Her impact earned her several award nominations and an award for her contribution and work from the Global Leadership Institute. She established the first hospitality & tourism awards in Africa, The Pyne Awards Africa which celebrates excellence in African Tourism, Travel and Hospitality.
4. Ayodele Omotoso – President, Association of Travel and Tourism Writers of Nigeria (ATTWON) & CEO, Travelogue Magazine
Ayodele Stephen Omotoso is President, Association of Travel and Tourism Writers of Nigeria (ATTWON) & CEO, Travelogue Magazine and TravelogueTV. He is a Tourism Aficionado who has made tourism his business, he lives and breathes tourism.
TravelogueTV Broadcasts on STV Network, Lagos and BCOS, Ibadan, Osun State. He is an approved personage in the realm of tourism. He is the organizer of Destination Tourism Night—A Tourism and Entertainment platform which he coined as “Touritainment”, an iconic event held annually.
5. Chinyere Uche-Ibeabuchi – Zonal Coordinator Lagos Campus, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR)
Chinyere Uche-Ibeabuchi is a Senior Lecturer and Lagos Campus Head at National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR).
She is a Training and Communication expert with over 15 years of experience. She plans, conducts and administers programmes that empower employees with required knowledge and skills. Chinyere is an associate member of the Institute of Tourism Professionals, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations among others.
6. Chinyere Umeasiegbu – Chief Executive Officer, Global Links Travel
Chinyere Umeasiegbu is the Founder of the IATA Certified Travel and Tours Company, Global Links & Services Ltd (GL&S) as well as The Pearl Academy (TPA), a training academy for Languages and skills acquisition.
Chinyere is an economist and banker who worked for almost a decade in the Nigerian Banking Industry before voluntarily resigning and also co-ordinated the affairs of National Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) for over 10 years in the South-South region of Nigeria. She is also a key member of the National Association of Nigerian Travel agencies (NANTA), and member of the Board of Trustees of the Christian Private Pilgrimage Operators of Nigeria.
Over the years, GL&S has successfully conducted Annual pilgrimages to Israel and other holy sites as well as cruise packages and many other tours. They host an Annual Travel Exhibition tagged ‘IJE’ – JOURNEYS AROUND THE WORLD in Warri Delta State, which is a key travel exhibition platform in the region, attracting exhibitors from the region as well as support of most of the major Airlines who routinely feature on the annual trade show.
7. Clara Chinwe Okoro – Founder & Chief Operating Officer, My Beautiful Africa
Clara Chinwe Okoro is Founder and Chief Operating Officer at the Travel Tech Company My Beautiful Africa, and the Executive Producer at Brandworld Media. She is an accomplished TV Host, International Resource Speaker, Multiple Award Winner and an Entrepreneur.
She is the Chairman of BJAN (Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria). With her passion and focus on promoting digital transformation in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector she hosts the annual Tourism and Technology Summit.
8. David & Wonuola Olatunde-Lamide – Co-Founders, Diamonds and Pearls Travels Limited
David and Wonuola Olatunde-Lamidi are the Co-Founders of Diamonds and Pearls Travels, where they build bespoke tour packages for individuals, couples, family, friends, groups and corporations on request.
With a passion for training tourism entrepreneurs, they train and mentor those who aspire to start a career in the travel industry. They do this through the Travupreneur Scheme which has trained over 250 entrepreneurs who have started their travel businesses and have recorded a good amount of success.
DandP Travels have won the following awards, Akwaaba 2018 Top 100 Tour Operators in Africa and 2023 Best Outbound Tour Operators in Nigeria, and 2023 Travel Agent of the Year in Africa by the Pyne Awards.
9. Deji Ajomale-Mcword – Founder, African Sports Tourism Week & Secretary-General of World Sports Tourism Council
Prince Deji Ajomale-McWord is the Founder of African Sports Tourism Week, World Sports Tourism Day, Organizer of International Diplomacy Stableford Golf Tournament, Editor-In-Chief of Afri Diplomat Magazine and Managing Partner at Run Africa Advisory
He has been recognized as one of United Nations Most Influential People of African Descent, in the Media & Culture by Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD). He has also received a Special Recognition Award for Sports Tourism by the Nigerian Tourism Awards and Top 100 Most Powerful People in African Hospitality by International Hospitality Institute.
10. Efetobo Awhana – CEO, Avant-Garde Tours & Founder, Nigeria Travel Week
Efetobo Awhana is a Travel Consultant, Columnist and Tour Management Trainer with Avant-Garde Tours Ltd, a tour management company that specializes in Honeymoon & Romantic Travel but also caters to a lot of family and group travel packages.
He is also the Founder of Nigeria Travel Week & Nigeria Tourism Awards which recognises and celebrates exemplary and outstanding individuals and organizations in the country’s tourism sector.
11. Captain Emmanuel Lords-Great – Founder & CEO, TBS International
Captain Emmanuel LordsGreat is a Pilot as well as an Aviation, Tourism & Hospitality Training Consultant. He is currently the Director of Studies & Training at Exodus International Aviation Academy, a world acclaimed Aviation, Tourism and Hospitality Training Institution in Nigeria.
As an IATA Certified Training Professional and a full member of the Chartered Institute Of Business Consultants, Capt. Emmanuel has been involved in several successful Start-ups of Aviation Training Organizations and Travel Businesses in Nigeria and Africa. An avid and passionate Aviation Trainer, he has trained and groomed more than a hundred (100) youth who are doing exploits as next generation (NextGen) leaders and professionals in the aviation, tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria and Africa. He currently runs a Youth Tourism Empowerment Initiative where he trains youth and students in his Free Tourism Workshops across Nigeria powered by Exodus Aviation.
As a Tourism Business Success Coach and CEO of Tourism Business Success International, he currently trains and consults for more than a dozen aviation, tourism and hospitality businesses such as Travel Agencies, Tour Operators, GDS Companies, Travel Support Services firms and Aviation Training Organizations. He is the Editor of Aviation4Africa, an Online Aviation Blog, advocating for the Development of the African Continent by harnessing the Power of Aviation for Africa through African Open Skies Agreement.
12. Femi Lawson – CEO, Skyview Communications
Femi Lawson is the Chairman and CEO of Skyview Communications Company Limited. He is an astute brand strategist with over twenty (20) years hands-on experience across different sectors from Communications, Finance, Tourism, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods(FMCG) and Real Estate. His leadership skills and strategic thinking has delivered on different roles from Client Service Executive, to Account manager, Media and Communication Strategy Planner and Executor Copy Writing and Creative Director.
He created the identity and marketing communications for the first ever prestigious Drum Festival in Nigeria and Africa (The Nigeria Drum festival 2016 now called AFRICAN Drum Festival). Femi launched the First Virtual Tourism in Nigeria, a tool used to promote and sell Nigeria’s Tourism Potentials and many other creative ideas thorough virtual reality tourist experience He has bagged the Global Peace Award from Dame Munni Irone of Art 4 Peace Award Organization from Beverly Hills, United States of America and he has other awards.
13. Frank Meke – Travel Editor, Vanguard Newspaper
Frank Meke is a syndicated columnist with a special interest in rural development, tourism, culture, and natural resources engagement on wildlife and conservation. He is currently the Tourism Columnist at the Sun newspapers published every Thursdays, titled “People and Tourism”. He was a pioneer team member of the national award winning Vanguard Tourism pages, where he worked from late 1991 to 1995. He was also a Tourism Editorial columnist in the defunct Concord Newspaper and The Week magazine.
He is the founder and presenter of Creative Naija, a cultural tourism talk show on Mainland Radio 98.3 FM, Lagos, which airs every Thursday. He is also at the front line of notable reforms in the emerging Nigeria, organizes the cultural tourism community, consultant to various shades of opinion across the spectrum of the private and public sector, analyst, and lobbyist.
A trustee of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), he is the acting Chairman, Board of Trustees, Association of Tourist Boat Operators, and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON). Currently, he is the Media Consultant to the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), and also holds the same advisory position at the National Council for Arts and Culture and Nigeria National Park service.
14. Hassan Zakari – National President, Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN)
Hassan Abdullahi Zakari is a passionate tourism practitioner with over 22 years of experience in the travel and tourism trade. Hassan co-founded Leisure Afrique in 1998 as a tour company packaging tours across West & Central Africa.
Zakari later founded MICE & Tours Africa Group comprising Absolute Africa Tours and Metro DMC which serves tourists and business travelers, delivering amazing and fascinating experiences to their clientele. The group serves out of Lagos, Abuja and the Island of Sao Tome & Principe.
He was also a one-time West African Director for African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA), a UK trade association advancing tourism to Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Hassan is also a former General Secretary of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP). He is currently the National President of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), a member-driven professional, voluntary trade association founded in 1990 with the primary purpose of promoting domestic and inbound tourism to Nigeria.
15. John Omololu Olumuyiwa – Managing Editor, Travelscope Magazine & Convener, Youth Tourism & Hospitality Leaders Forum (YTHLF)
Omololu Olumuyiwa is the Managing Editor of Travelscope Magazine, the monthly publication on global aviation, tourism and hospitality industry.
An astute travel/tourism journalist, he is a Member of The Chartered Institute of Journalists (CIOJ) UK; The Tourism Society, UK; World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers (FIJET), and International Travel Writers Alliance (ITWA) UK. He was the former Public Relations Officer for Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and Vice President, Association of Travel and Tourism Writers of Nigeria (ATTWON).
He is the Initiator and Convener of the annual Youth Tourism & Hospitality Leaders Forum (YTHLF) founded in 2008, an educational platform for youths with the passion to excel in their chosen careers related to tourism, aviation, and hospitality. Omololu has received several awards as a tourism journalist and for his contributions on youth tourism development in Nigeria.
16. Justina Ovat – Principal Consultant, Calabar Hospitality House Limited & Vice-President South-South, Federal Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN)
Justina Ovat is a Hospitality Professional and Social Entrepreneur. She is the founder and Executive Director of Calabar Hospitality House (CHH) Limited, an indigenous private consultancy firm that delivers high-quality training programmes, set-ups, recruitment, secondment, event management and tour packaging services to the tourism & hospitality industry, corporate organizations and individuals.
She started the Justina Ovat Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2019, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of CHH aimed at empowering young people by teaching them skills, linking them to mentors and resources and providing them platforms to gain and retain meaningful employment.
Listed among the young emerging political leaders in Cross River State, Justina Ovat is a former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Cross River State on Hospitality and also served as General Manager of Tinapa Lakeside Hotel. She is currently the Vice-President South-South, Federal Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN).
17. Kazeem Bello – Founder, Kalo Africa Media
Kazeem Balogun is the Founder and Managing Director, Kalo Africa Media. He has been practicing media/ tourism for 17 years.
The Kalo Band which consists of Kalo Africa News, Kalo Africa Tv, Kalo Live Tv/Radio, Kalo Magazine, Kalo Awards, etc aims to engage their continental and global audience to change the African narratives to more endearing ones. They also engage in Advertising, Branding, PR, Marketing, TV commercials, Campaigns, etc, as a media organization in Nigeria but with presence across Africa and beyond. They are poised to promote Africa in all ramifications and ensure Africa as a destination best choice for anyone globally.
18. Lauretta Togonu-Bickersteth – Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Hospitalityandmsb
Lauretta OlayinkaTogonu- Bickersteth, is the founder and chief executive officer of Hospitalityandmsb, a hospitality consultancy business services and solutions outfit.
Popularly known as Ms. B, she is a quality assessor, educator, mentor and confidence coach. She has engaged actively with the private and public sector and is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, UK and Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria (HATMAN), where she serves as the assistant secretary of the association. She had lectured in Wavecrest College of Hospitality, Lagos for 21 years.
Ms. B has also won a number of accolades and awards over the years, this include being a 2022 nominee of Nigerian Feminnine Achievement Award for the Most Outstanding in Hospitality.
19. Lola Adefope – Managing Director, Business Travel Management Ltd
Lola Adefope is the Managing Director of CWT Nigeria, and Business Travel Management Ltd, a Travel Management Company which houses several brands and sister companies specialising in; corporate travel and aviation consultancy, travel technology, tourism and call center management. She manages the company in Nigeria and Angola with registered entities in the UK and UAE.
Passionate about the Travel, Tourism and Aviation industry as well as Nigeria, Lola consults and has been honored with invitations to present and deliver papers in Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa, and the UK to entities including but not limited to; Pan African Business School, African Business Travel Association (ABTA), Marriott Hotels, SAATCHI, ACTE and Design for Development Paris.
Lola is a certified ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Auditor and maintains an excellent relationship with SON (Standards Organisation of Nigeria) continually training and monitoring updates in the published standard. She is a member of the I.O.D Institute of Directors. Nigeria and sits on the board of three companies including Betaglass Nigeria.
20. Lucky Onoriode George – Executive Director, African Travel Commission & Publisher/Editor, African Travel Times Magazine
Lucky Onoriode George of Nigeria is Publisher and Editor of African Travel Times Magazine, West Africa’s only monthly travel and tourism publication. He is a specialist in the fields of media, marketing, and public relations.
Previous experience includes serving as the Head of Business Day Newspaper as well as a tourism presenter on television, He also worked as the Director of Media for Abuja International Carnival with the federal government of Nigeria.
Lucky is a former member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Task-force on Hotels, Motels, Inns and Tourist Guide Elaboration as well as the former Publicity Secretary for the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN). He is the only Nigerian winner of the European Commission Lorenzo Nalati Prize for Journalists Reporting Human Rights and Democracy in 2006.
21. Michael Balogun – CEO, Tour2Nigeria
Otunba Michael Balogun is the CEO and Founder of Xtrm Tours 2 Nigeria Ltd., brand name Tour2Nigeria which is a multi-award-winning domestic tour company based in the aquatic city of Lagos State. The company was established solely for the purpose of offering tour packages, promoting them, and creating an inroad to Nigeria’s tourism destinations.
He is also the South-West Vice President of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP). Otunba Michael has also partnered with a lot of hospitality businesses across the continent, and in the process, collaborated with a fellow colleague from Tanzania (Msifari Travels and Tours) to create a dedicated group called Intra Africa Travels, and invited dedicated tour operators from the African continent to join to start promoting our continent and advocating for a borderless Africa.
As an avid advocate for tourism development in Nigeria, he uses his social media platform such as LinkedIn, to promote and showcase tourist destinations in the country, and this has helped to boost the socio-economic results for the sector.
22. Moyo Ogunseinde – Founder, Upbeat Centre and Aga Culture
Moyo Ogunseinde is the Creative Brand Designer and architect of Upbeat Centre, the first purpose built trampoline and Recreation Park in West Africa. Upbeat is a lifestyle brand that was born out of the need to offer families and our community alternative lifestyle spaces that truly enriched lives – a place where families could reconnect and corporates could bond as a team. Her passion for Sports and Youth development in Nigeria got her elected as a member of the Nigerian Gymnastic Federation. She is also a board member of the Lagos States Sports Trust Fund.
As the Executive Director, Uraga Real Estate Limited, Moyo is a chartered architect and real estate development executive with over 18 years experience and accomplishment in managing and developing a substantial real estate investment portfolio. Part of her accomplishment in this sector was being the Construction Manager and Project Director for Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Lagos.
In her spare time, she also reimagines her African culture to design contemporary functional and collectible design items under The Aga Concept, design brand. Aga Concept is an African Lifestyle brand inspired by Africa – its culture, heritage, color, form, essence with a minimal approach to design and life, that is expressed through homeware, lifestyle products & fashion.
23. Odion Chigbufue – Executive Director, Tour Brokers International Group
Odion Chigbufue, who is the Executive Director of Tour Brokers International Group (TBI) joined the company in 2007. TBI was incorporated in 2002 to professionally package tourism services to selective destinations, for Nigerian business and leisure travelers and expatriates living in Nigeria.
In her 15+ years with the company, she has effectively represented and promoted the company business at local, regional and international travel and tourism-related exhibitions and events. She has solid experience in travel and tour marketing and leadership skills.
24. Oluwaseyi Adegoke-Adeyemo – CEO, Kristomedia Limited & Publisher, Inside Watch Africa (IWA)
Oluwaseyi Adegoke-Adeyemo is the CEO of Kristomedia Limited, a multimedia and general communication outfit, publishers of Inside Watch Africa, a quarterly Afro-centric publication that has been documenting the rich African culture and traditions, covering indigenous and international trade as well as travel and tours activities throughout the African region for the past sixteen years.
Before venturing into private practice, he worked with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for eighteen years. A watershed moment for Mr Adegoke-Adeyemo was when he was given an opportunity to be part of a team that streamlined and modernized the data gathering and processing of the Customs Intelligence Unit for which he was aptly rewarded with the Comptroller General’s Merit Award.
A public commentator, program director, and moderator as well as the current vice-chairman of the events committee of the Nigeria-Britain Association (N-BA), Adegoke- Adeyemo holds numerous academic degrees, including a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
25. Omolola Itayemi – Founder, Your Travels Start Here (YTSH)
Omolola Itayemi is a journalist, tourist, traveller, events organizer, public relations practitioner, culture enthusiast and wine connoisseur.
She is the initiator and past President of Association of Travel and Tourism Writers of Nigeria (ATTWON). She is also a Senior Tourism Correspondent at ThisDay Newspaper and Founder of yourtravelstartshere, a travel and lifestyle organization.
26. Pelu Awofeso – Creative Director, Travel Next Door & Founder, Travu
Pelu Awofeso, founder and CEO of Travel Next Door, is one of the leading names in Nigeria’s domestic tourism space. His contributions to, and influence in, the industry cuts across journalism, publishing, cultural consultancy. He is also the founder of Travu, a travel magazine that showcases tourist gems in Nigeria.
In a career spanning nearly 15 years, he has traveled widely around Nigeria – about 32 states – documenting several indigenous festivals and carnivals. His other travel interests include museums, monuments, nature, crafts and the daily pursuits of everyday Nigerians. He is also a published author with books like White Lagos, Tour of Duty, Route 234 and more. He is currently a freelance contributor to Lonely Planet. As an environment advocate, he co-founded Beach Samaritans, which has worked with volunteers since 2014 to clean-up public beaches in Nigeria.
Pelu won the CNN/ Multichoice African Journalists Awards in tourism reporting. He was awarded the Best Tour Guide in Nigeria (2017) and Best Travel Journalist in Nigeria (2019) by the Nigeria Tourism Awards.
27. Dr. Raphael James – Founder, Center for Research, Information Management & Media Development (CRIMMD)
Dr. Raphael James is the Founder and Director General of the Centre for Research, Information and Media Development (CRIMMD). He first established it as a library in 2004 at Ejigbo but later advanced into what we now see as a non-political, non-governmental, non-profit-making but standard research developmental institution.
He is the Publisher of two magazines namely, ‘The African Dame’ and ‘The National Biographer’ magazines. He has written 56 manuscripts and published 24 books. He has donated over 50,000 books to the public since 2008 when he started his book donations to help bring back the reading culture in our society.
In the area of tourism, he is a historic and educational tourist. He has visited 33 out of 36 states of Nigeria and documented over 500 tourist sites in the last 9 years. To promote tourism, he has donated 50 books on Tourism to the Association of Travel and Tourism Writers of Nigeria, ATTWON.
Dr. Raphael James has won a total of more than 200 awards for his commendable works to humanity. He was listed in the New Telegraph Newspaper of January 23, 2021 as Nigerian “Top Historian and Record Keeper” and Best Promoter of Domestic Tourism in Nigeria by ‘Naija7Wonders’. He has also won the Travellers Awards – Top Tourism Promoters for 2020, and a Certificate of Nigerian Tourism Specialist’ by NIHOTOUR, Naija7Wonders and AKWAABA Travel Market. Nigeria Tourism Awards recognised him as an ‘Industry Icon at Nigeria Tourism Award 2020’ for his contributions to the growth of Tourism in Nigeria
28. Toni Ukachukwu – Founder, Aviators Africa
Toni Ukachukwu is the Founder of Aviators Africa (https://theaviatorsafrica.com/), a Pan African Aviation media and marketing company with over 15 years consulting for and building travel, tourism and aviation businesses in emerging markets. He hosts the annual African Aviation Sustainability Conference & Tower Awards, an event to recognise, celebrate, and honour excellence as well as sustainability within the African Aviation sector.
He is also the founder of Walk for love Africa (https://walkforloveafrica.org/), a non-profit organization and a pioneer in promoting intra-africa connectivity towards creating a central domestic african market for trade and tourism. He has served as the Regional Manager, African Business Travel Association (ABTA); CEO, Afrotourism, Cabin Crew and Sales and Marketing Executive, Virgin Nigeria Airways.
29. Vera Sharon Iremuah Ohioma – Founder, GateHub & Lead, Tourism Invest Africa
Vera Sharon Iremuah Ohioma is a tourism enthusiast committed to promoting Africa as a top tourism destination globally. She is the founder of GATEHUB, a company focused on driving projects with investment potentials to market-ready tourism and hospitality products. The company is also a visible player in developing intra-African tourism trade as destination marketing, consultancy, advisory and facilitators.
Vera is the lead initiator of the Tourism invest Africa (TIA) project leveraging the AFCFTA to fill the gaps in investment opportunities and African tourism industries. She serves as an Ambassador in Nigeria to the prestigious African tourism board (ATB), and an advisory board member sustainable tourism of the African Association of Women in Tourism and Hospitality (AAWTH). She is a writer with the award winning online travel magazine, Travel Employees Network.
30. Yvonne Joseph – Founder & CEO, 2wenty2 Hospitality
Yvonne Joseph, fondly called ‘The Hospitality Queen’, is a passionate hospitality professional and entrepreneur who uses a blend of editorial, marketing, and digital creativity to ensure that hospitality brands stand out from the crowd. She is the founder of 2wenty2 Hospitality, a full-service digital agency with core expertise in developing strategy, messaging, design, packaging, and marketing for brands in the hospitality industry that are aiming to achieve visibility, significant growth, and increase in revenue.
Yvonne currently serves as the Director of Events, Public Relations, and Social Media for Women in Hospitality Nigeria, and also sits on the board of top brands as a business advisor. When she is not building brands, or advising businesses, she is passionately involved with inspiring and mentoring the next generation of hospitality talent. In 2020, she started NextGen Africa, an ed-tech professional coaching and mentoring platform that is currently providing personal and professional support to hospitality students in Africa. She also uses her spare time to write articles for Fortune 500 companies on career and personal development.
Yvonne was recently named, One of the 100 Most Powerful People in Africa Hospitality 2022 by IHI Texas, USA. She has also been featured on other reputable media platforms across the globe.