List of awardees of Top 100 Tourism personalities in Africa

Top "100 Tourism Personalities in Africa" recipients of Maiden awards include Alex-Ibru, Akinbile-Yusuf, and many others

Lady Maiden of  The top "100 Travel and Tourism Personalities in Africa" award has been won by African women including Alex-Ibru, Publisher of Guardian Newspapers, and Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture.

At the ongoing 18th AKWAABA Africa Travel and Tourism Market in Lagos, the awards were presented on Monday.

                                                          Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture.

                                                                                  Alex-Ibru, Publisher of Guardian Newspapers

Others who received awards were Dr. Memunatu Pratt, the minister of tourism for Sierra Leone, Maimuna Mohammed, the corporate account manager for Heritage Hotels in Kenya, and Leah Assenga, the creator of Kitamu Africa in Arusha, Tanzania.

Among the honorees were Justina Okpanku, editor of Thisday, and Dr. Keziah Odemba, director of tourism for Kenya's ministry of tourism and wildlife.

AKWAABA organizer Mr. Ukechi Uko noted that the recipients had contributed to the success of the travel and tourist industries at the presentation of the awards.

                                                       Mr. Ikechi Uko, publisher, ATQnews and organizer, Akwaaba Travel Market, Nigeria

He claimed that the women had demonstrated outstanding leadership abilities in their respective offices and were an inspiration to up-and-coming professionals.

"This medal indicates hard effort, devotion, and the ambition of ensuring one achieves to the top level," stated Pratt, one of the prize recipients.

It also denotes motivation and gratitude for the work completed; this calls for increased effort and dedication as well as the adoption of leadership traits.

"I must doff my head for this fantastic effort that assists in recognizing the women who are actually doing the work. This is a very significant event in boosting the interest of women in tourism.

“I want to thank the people of Nigeria and Lagos State Government for supporting AKWAABA, we in the rest of West Africa can see this wonderful work.

We in the rest of West Africa can observe this fantastic effort by sponsoring AKWAABA.

We are thinking about having an exhibition soon in Sierra Leone," she stated.

Pratt invited Africans to travel to Sierra Leone because she thought the people there were kind and friendly.

She claims that the nation is richly endowed with historical monuments, exotic beaches, and other types of attractions.

We want to remember the time we had the civil war, when Nigerians stood by us and we will never forget that, and we want that bond between the two countries to be stronger, she added. "We genuinely admire Nigerians; there is a great bond between Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans," she said.

The Africa Travel 100 global Personalities award's initial shortlist of Winners includes:

Transportation
1 Rohan Vos…….Owner of Rovos Rail (South Africa)
2. Frank Nneji…..Owner of ABC Transport (Nigeria)

Aviation

1. Tewolde GebreMariam…..GCEO of Ethiopian Airlines
2. Rahel Assefa….VP Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s Top-Ranked Lady Aviator
3.  Chief Allen Onyema…Chairman Air Peace, Africa’s biggest Privately Owned Airline.
4. Captain Solomon Quianoo…  Africa’s Top A380 Pilot (Ghana)
5. Chief Togbe Afede…Chairman of Africa World Airlines

Past African Legend of Travel Winners

1. Waturi Wa Matu…Travel Professional (Kenya)
2. Captain Desta Zeru…First African Captain of B787 Dreamliner (Ethiopia)
3.   Captain Irene Koki Mutungi …Africa’s Top Female Pilot. (Kenya)
4.  Kumnegger TeKel…MICE Promoter and event Organiser.  (Ethiopia)

Tourism Media

1.  Wolfgang Thome….online Publisher and Leading Tourism Publisher in Uganda
2.  Jason Njoku – Publisher & Promoter IROKO TV Nigeria

Tourism  Administration

1. Najib Balala… Tourism Minister Kenya and CAF UNWTO President.
2.  Elcia Grandcourt…Africa Representative UNWTO.  (Seychelles)
3. Alain St. Ange… Former Minister of Tourism Seychelles
4. Ambassador Dr. Eriaka Bennett- Head of mission AU Diaspora office

Hospitality/ facility owners

1. Ato Tadiwos Belete… Kuriftu resort.  (Ethiopia)
2. Tony Elumelu….Chairman Transcorp Hotels. (Nigeria)
3. Oskar Ibru…Ibru Organisations leading Hospitality investor. (Nigeria)
4. Professor Nzamujo.. Proprietor Songhai integrated Agricultural center. (Benin)
5. Mr. Samih Sawiris …Proprietor of El Gouna Resort. (Egypt)

Travel Business

1. Julie Dably Scott…Kenya Travel Business Executive (CWT)
2. Femi Adefope. Nigeria Travel Business Owner. ( HRG, CWT, GHI, APG)
3.  Richard Akerele…Logistics and Airlines Support Services. (ASL Newrest)
4. Taiwo Afolabi..Chairman of SIFAX Airport Logistics

Tour Operations

1.  Zainab Anseil..Zara Tours Tanzania
2. Uloma Egbuna…Tour Brokers International, Emirate Holidays, Royal Caribbean.(Nigeria)
3. Amos Wekesa…Ugandan Tour Operator

MICE Promoters.

1. Peace Anyiam Osigwe… Convener Africa Movie Academy Awards. AMAA
2. Ben Murray Bruce…Silverbird Galleria and Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria
3. Governor Ben Ayade… Organizer Carnival Calabar
4. Rick Taylor….MICE Expert (South Africa)
5. Rabbi Kohan – Executive Director Panafest  (Ghana)
6. Tom Kunkler – Organiser Kilifair and SITES (Tanzania)

Heritage & Culture

1. Professor Zahi  Hawass – Egyptologist and Former Curator of the Heritage of the Pharaohs
2. Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi – King of Yorubas and Promoter of Olojo Festival
3. Emir of kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi – Custodian of Kano walls and Durbar Festival
4. Oba of Benin, Eheneden Erediauwa Ewuare II – Custodian of Benin Moat and Igwe Festival
5. Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe – Ofala Festival
6. King Mswati – Swaziland Reeds Dance Umhlanga Festival.
7. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II –  AKwasidae Festival (Kumasi, Ghana)

For the past 15 years, AKWAABA Africa Travel Market has been the major international and largest marketing platform to meet with airlines, Travel Agents, Hotels, Tourism boards both foreign and local, the media, and the general traveling public in West Africa. Akwaaba Travel Market has grown to become the most important travel marketing platform in the region drawing attendance from over 7,000 to 10,000 Visitors from 20 Countries.

A vibrant must attend 3-day business-to-business event presenting a diverse range of destinations to African and international travel professionals, it is a unique opportunity for the African travel trade market to meet, negotiate, network, and conduct business with top players in Travel and Tourism. The 3rd Edition of the West African #jollofrice War will be on Sunday the 22nd. The Aviation day and the Youth Tourism Panels will hold on Tuesday the 24th. Dubai and Gambian day will be on Monday the 23rd. Ghana Day and Nigeria Day will be on Sunday the 22nd.