Category 5 – Rising Stars
These are young tourism professionals who are transforming the tourism space with their bright ideas and brands.
1. Ayomide Adediji – Founder, The Ayomide Travels
Ayomide Adediji is a highly skilled Tour packager, Experience Curator, Destination Promoter, and Tourism Marketer. He is presently the Founder of The Ayomide Travels – a Tour Operating agency that provides local and international vacation packages, and promotes inbound tourism by actively participating in adventurous and cultural tours.
Passionate and Vibrant, with almost a decade experience working in the Nigerian Tourism space, he has risen to become a stakeholder in the industry; working with brands such as Goge Africa, Discoveria, etc. He has traveled across the country, actively promoting the Nigerian culture and festivals through media coverages, content writing and social media marketing.
2. Bethel Moseglad – CEO, Nature Connects
Bethel Moseglad is an Award winning Nigerian Tour guide and the Founder of NatureConnects, an inbound tourism promotion company, that connects people to nature and nature to people, based in Taraba state. Popularly known as The Man on the Mambilla, Bethel has been at the forefront of promoting tourism for the Mambilla Plateau. Having spent his National Youth Service year there in 2015, he was captivated by the ravishing beauty of the destination, and has continued to promote it as a top tourism assets for the country.
He has hosted Government ministries, corporations, and people from Germany, Denmark, India, United Kingdom and Nigerians; and was featured on CNN for guiding a group of tourists led by TVP adventures to the highest point in West Africa – The Chappal Waddi. Bethel has also been recognized by the Africa Travel Quarterly as one of the top promoters of domestic tourism in Nigeria and belongs to the tourism 100 club, amongst others.
He is also the convener of the Nigeria Hiking Challenge, an event dedicated to promoting domestic responsible and sustainable tourism. The 2023 edition is holding this November. You can find out more about it here – https://www.nigeriahikingchallenge.com
3. Bolaji Seun – Founder, Naija Explorers
Bolaji Seun is the Founder and Brand Manager of Naija Explorers – a Nigerian Tourism brand that seeks to showcase Nigeria’s unique destinations to the world, and promote domestic tourism in Nigeria.
Having traveled to 33 states of the country, Bolaji is a Travel writer, Tour operator, and has bagged a number of awards to his brand including; The Rising Start of the Year ( Tourism ) at The Pyne Award Africa 2022; Best Domestic Traveller in Nigeria at the Abuja Jabamah Festival 2022, and many more to his brand. He was also Inducted into the Top 100 Tourism Personalities in Nigeria 2019. In 2023, he was recognised as one of the Africa Travel 100 Under 40 Awards by Akwaaba Travel Market.
4. Busayo Adebisi – Founder, Explore With Busayo & My Travel Store
Busayo Adebisi is the Lead Experience Curator at ExploreWithBusayo, a Tour company that curated pocket-friendly adventures within Africa; and the Creative Director of Mytravelstoreng, a store that provides luxury luggage for travelers.
She is a seasoned Tour manager and Blogger, and has worked with brands such as VisitNigeriaNow, TravCP, Travelstart. Busayo also holds a Tour Marketing and Management degree from the Dubai College of Tourism (DCT).
5. Cornelius Ugwunwa – CEO, Kardinal Technologies Inc
Cornelius Ugwunwa is the CEO of Kardinal Technologies Inc. A complete digital infrastructure for financing and empowering Business Travel in Africa. The Kardinal platform offers African firms a range of proprietary products and services, including real-time detailed reporting, secure self-booking and management, budget management, automated invoice system, and frictionless payment/credit technology.
Cornelius is a driven and innovative individual with a passion for using technology and its ability to transform the world. With 5 years of experience working with top-tier travel companies, he has built a track record of success in developing strategies for consistent business growth.
6. Faith Oguntayo – Founder, Faithooo Travels
Faith Oguntayo is an accountant, a budding management consultant, and a travel blogger. Passionate about travel and tourism in Africa, she started her travel blog (www.faithooo.com.ng), when she discovered that a lot of Nigerians could not travel as often as they wanted to due to lack of valuable information on how to explore the nation and continent. To equip herself with the required knowledge, she started visiting countries with easy visas, exploring tourist sites within the state she lives in, and exploring other states in Nigeria. With that, she uses her blog to share valuable travel articles with her audience.
Faith has worked and partnered with travel brands like Travelstart, Nene-Uwa Hub Ltd, Wayfare Travel and Green Africa, to promote their travel/tourism products, services and industry events. She is also a valuable member of the Nigerian Tourism Lovers and Travel Massive Lagos where she volunteers her skills in planning and executing events.
7. Jumoke Munu – Founder, The Smiley’s Place Travels
Jumoke Munu is the founder and lead advisor at The Smileys Place Travels, a travel and tour company that provides quality services, enjoyable tours and vacations on time and on budget; with the aim of helping millennials discover and experience the world while collecting the moment. She is an award-nominated traveler, and has explored and promoted off-beaten paths in Nigeria.
A Product Designer, Podcast Co-Host, Content creator, Writer, and two-time AFRICANXT Host, Jumoke has consistently provided solutions within the Travel and Tech space. Her work has been featured on platforms such as Deutshe Well Documentary, New Telegraph, Lead city radio, etc.
8. Nike Oresanya – Travel Content Creator, Hey Nikeh
Nike Oresanya, also known as Hey Nikeh is a Travel Influencer and Content Creator. With over 40K followers on Instagram, she inspires people to live their best life and discover the beauty of God’s Green Earth.
Having traveled to 34 out of 36 Nigerian states including the FCT, she is an advocate for Nigerian Tourism, showcasing known and unknown travel destinations in Nigeria through her content, and is keen on changing the negative narrative surrounding the country.
Nike has authored travel guide books for locations within Nigeria and West Africa, and is a certified Travel and Tours Management Practitioner with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Benin, Edo state. She is also the Lead Curator of Funatics, a thriving community of young adults loving their best lives and having fun through events and travel.
9. Sewedo Balogun – Founder, Sewedo Tours
Sewedor Balogun, the Founder of Sewedo Tours, is a passionate tour guide, tour operator, and sustainable tourism promoter who ardently promotes responsible travel practices that benefit both travelers and destinations. He is experienced in implementing eco-friendly initiatives, fostering cultural exchange, and supporting local economies while minimizing environmental impact.
Sewedor has orchestrated seamless travel itineraries, collaborating with local communities and businesses to create authentic and sustainable experiences; and has guided diverse groups of travelers through breathtaking destinations, providing insightful knowledge, whilst optimizing safety and satisfaction.
10. Wemimo Toluse Kolade – Founder, The Fika Experience
Wemimo Kolade is the Founder of The Fika Experience – a travel and tour startup designed to help the employee populace maintain a healthy work-life balance; as well as promoting the tourism potentials of Nigeria by creating engaging content about its destinations.
She has built a thriving community of professionals, creatives, and students of varying age ranges with the aim of fulfilling their travel dreams & adventures, providing budget friendly packages across Africa and Nigeria.