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. Clara is the Erstwhile Chairman of BJAN (Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria) and the Sub-Group Team Lead for Info-system/Data/Statistics Sub-Group of the NESG (Nigeria Economic Summit Group) Tourism and Hospitality Industries Thematic Group. She is the Director of Media and Communications for WIHN (Women in Hospitality in Nigeria) and the Global Ambassador for Technology and Sustainability at the ATB (African Tourism Board). Follow Clara on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarachinweokoro Follow Clara on Instagram - @clara.c.okoro

Cornelius Ugwunwa is the Co-founder and CEO of Kardinal Inc., a business travel and experience booking platform positioned to return travel confidence to businesses and their employees. His vision is to see a world where African countries can compete and achieve dominance globally, which pushed him to build GoKardinal - a platform that digitizes business travel booking with integrated financial and expense management capabilities. GoKardinal is on a mission to seamlessly connect African businesses with their travel needs within and beyond the continent. They achieve this by integrating trip planning, booking, budgetary, expense management, and credit financing into the platform, making it seamless for businesses to plan, customise budgets, and secure trip financing for their travel requirements, covering ground and air transportation, all under one platform. Follow Cornelius on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cornelius-ugwunwa Follow Cornelius on Instagram - @gokardinal Visit GoKardinal's website - https://gokardinal.com/

Chiamaka Obuekwe, a renowned tourism expert and tour operator based in Lagos, Nigeria is the Founder and CEO of Social Prefect Tours - an award-winning tour operating company that promotes African tourism and connects people through group travel packages and guided tours. With a deep commitment to African tourism and fostering meaningful connections, Social Prefect Tours has been curating unforgettable experiences since 2015, catering to a delighted clientele of more than 8,000 enthusiastic individuals. As trailblazers in millennial group tourism within Nigeria, her company has established itself as a frontrunner in the industry. Laud as a pioneer in the Nigerian group tourism market, Chiamaka has worked on tourism projects such as Explore Bauchi with the Bauchi state government. She has also worked with top brands such as Skechers, Samsung, South African tourism, Smile communications, Malta Guinness and more. Chiamaka’s work has been featured on media platforms such as CNN Inside Africa, Yahoo news, Genevieve magazine, to mention a few. She has been recognized as follows: Leading Ladies Africa 2018 List for Nigeria’s 100 Most Inspiring Women, 100 Women in Tourism (2017) and Top 100 Tour Operators in Africa (2018) by Akwaaba Travel Market and Africa Travel Quarterly. She is also a recipient of ELOY Award, Tourism Inspiration (2017), Her Network Woman of the Year Awards, Hospitality category (2017) and the Pyne Hospitality Awards, Best Tour Operator (2018). Follow Chiamaka on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiamaka-obuekwe-460b6b8b Follow Chiamaka on Instagram - @socialprefect

Toni Ukachukwu is an aviation consultant and management professional with over 18 years experience in travel and tourism. He had demonstrated resourcefulness and driving efficiency by providing strategic people leadership for hospitality and aviation businesses in emerging markets. Possesses senior-level experience in Aviation, media and marketing communications. Toni is the Publisher and Chief Sustainability Officer of Aviators Africa. A Media, Integrated marketing and consulting company that services the travel and tourism industry and organizer of the Annual African Aviation Sustainability Conference and Awards. He is also the Founder of Walk For Love Africa (WFLA). A pioneer initiative of the Anthony Ukachukwu Foundation (A.U Foundation)which seeks to promote a sustainable Intra-Africa travel, tourism and trade. Follow Toni on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-ukachukwu-53944240 Follow Toni on Instagram - @toniaviator

Akinnuga Ayobami is a dynamic business leader and travel tech strategist dedicated to revolutionizing the travel experience for Africans. As the COO of Tramango, he plays a pivotal role in driving the company’s strategic growth, product innovation, and market expansion across Africa. With a strong background in business strategy, marketing, and operations, Ayobami has successfully led initiatives that enhance customer experience, revenue growth, and digital transformation in the travel sector. His expertise in leveraging AI and data analytics has positioned Tramango as a key player in the evolving travel-tech space. Beyond operations, Ayobami is passionate about solving critical challenges in African travel - from seamless bookings and travel insurance to policy advocacy - ensuring that Africans have better access to global travel opportunities. A strong advocate for passport freedom and equal travel access, he is committed to driving meaningful conversations and solutions that empower African travelers. Follow Ayobami on Instagram: @thatblvckbillionaire Follow Ayobami on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akinnuga-ayobami Visit Tramango's website - https://tramango.com/

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 and Top 100 Most Powerful People in African Hospitality by International Hospitality Institute. Follow Omololu on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omololu-olumuyiwa-09815921/ Follow Omololu on Instagram - @omololuolumuyiwa

Known as a Social Impact Evangelist, David Atabo's primary focus has been on driving sustainable development within communities across Africa. He is the founder of ComeMakeWeGo Tourism Africa Foundation, an initiative that strives to develop local destinations and people around Africa with tourism potentials. Deeply passionate about promoting and preserving the cultural heritage and touristic assets of Africa's destinations, Chief Atabo, as he is popularly called, provides expert advisories on policies and marketing strategies that aim to enhance the socio-economic growth of these destinations. An activist for tourism youth empowerment, Chief Atabo served as the former chair of the European Union Youth Advisory Board for Nigeria where he actively engaged in advising the EU delegations in Nigeria and ECOWAS in relations to youth development programs for Nigeria. By investing in the potential of young African individuals, he strives to empower them with the necessary skills and resources to contribute to their communities and create a positive impact. He is a firm believer in Africa's cultural assets and leveraging of tourism as a tool for both local prosperity and global appreciation. And because of his work, he has received a number of notable awards in tourism and sustainable development, including a chieftaincy title from a community he's spent years promoting. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefatabo Follow David on Instagram - @chiefatabo

An accountant, MBA holder,a budding management consultant, and a travel blogger, Faith Oguntayo is a travel enthusiast. 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. Follow Faith on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/faith-oguntayo-605496192 Follow Faith on Instagram - @faithoguntayo

Otobong Tom is a distinguished corporate compliance attorney with a proven track record of delivering strategic legal counsel to top-tier corporations across diverse industries. Outside the legal realm, she is an avid traveller who views exploration as a powerful vehicle for growth and learning. Through her travel platform, The Wakaholic, Otobong empowers others to embrace adventure, expand their worldview, and find meaning beyond borders. She is the author of “GIRLS DON’T TRAVEL JUST FOR FLOWERS”, a novel inspired by true events, blending fiction with raw, real-life emotion With a deep passion for life’s experiences and a commitment to sharing her journey, Otobong continues to inspire others to discover the essence of happiness through bold exploration and authentic storytelling Follow Otobong on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/otobong-tom-7b1603133 Follow Otobong on Instagram - @the_wakaholic Get Otobong's Book - https://wakaholic.com/order-my-book

Uloma Egbuna is a distinguished leader in the travel and tourism industry, serving as the Managing Director and CEO of Tour Brokers International Limited (TBI) Group of Companies. Established in 2002, TBI is an IATA-approved, multi-award-winning company dedicated to promoting tourism services for Nigerian business and leisure travelers and expatriates. Under TBI encompasses two prominent subsidiaries: TBI Cruises and Tours, the representative of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in West Africa, and Bespoke Holidays, the luxury brand representing Emirates Holidays in Nigeria. Mrs. Egbuna's dedication was pivotal in establishing Royal Caribbean's presence in Nigeria in 2016, marking its first and only branded office in Africa. Additionally, Tour Brokers International serves as the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Bedsonline in Nigeria, the world's largest 'bed bank' catering exclusively to the travel trade. With 30+ years of industry experience, Mrs. Egbuna is an authority in travel and tourism. Her innovative ideas and strategic insights have earned her accolades, including West Africa Tourism Person of the Year and a place among the Top 100 Tourism Personalities in West Africa. She is a past publicity secretary of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agents (1993-1996) and also held the position of the Vice President (West) of the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP). Mrs. Egbuna’s extensive travels and firsthand knowledge of global destinations have enriched her expertise in organizing and facilitating strategic corporate retreats for senior leaders and business Meetings, Incentive Travel, and Events (MICE) worldwide. Her leadership is a testament to her unwavering dedication to the growth and development of the tourism industry, making her a highly sought-after professional for senior board roles and international collaborations. Follow Uloma on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/uloma-egbuna-66445b14b Visit TBI's website - https://tourbrokersinternational.com/

Oluwabunmi Roselyn Bankole-Akinyemi is a Tourism expert, consultant, business development strategist, operations management expert and project manager with over 15 years’ experience across sectors. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Ilorin, and a Masters in International Management and Tourism Development from the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK and a second Masters in International Tourism Management from Swansea University. Oluwabunmi is the Founder of Tourvant, a tourism development consultancy offering services to individuals, corporate organizations and educational institutions. She is also the convener of the popular Naija Corn Festival - a festival that promotes Agro-tourism by showcasing Nigerian indigenous food. The event spotlights the Agro sector by identifying a value chain for Maize, and highlighting investment opportunities it carries. Follow Oluwabunmi on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oluwabunmi-b-akinyemi Follow Oluwabunmi on Instagram - @beambee

Season 2 of see the world with Ajala Nene has come to an end, and we want to appreciate our listeners and guest

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 to offer tour packages, promoting them, and creating an inroad to Nigeria's tourism destinations. Otunba Michael is the South-West Vice President of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP). He has also partnered with a lot of hospitality businesses across the continent, and in the process, collaborated with acolleague 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, which has helped boost the sector's socio-economic results. Follow Michael on Instagram: @tour2nigeria Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbalogun

Susan Akon Akporiaye is the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Topaz Travel and Tours Limited, Abuja. In the space of two years of operation, her company became fully accredited, locally by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and internationally by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Susan was awarded the Top 100 African Women in the Travel and Tourism Industry in 2017 by ATQ. Topaz Travel and Tours has gotten the British Airways Gold Agent Award and British Airways Award of Best Selling Agent – Abuja and Northern Nigeria. She has also received outstanding performance awards from other Airline companies like Lufthansa; Ethiopia Airlines/Asky Award for the Highest Overall Sales; South African Airways; AirFrance/KLM Award; and other numerous awards. She was also the past President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) and the second deputy President of the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN). Follow Susan on Instagram: @susan.akporiaye Follow Susan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-akporiaye-14016a168

Bolaji Seun is the Brand Manager of Naija Explorers - a Nigerian Tourism brand that seeks to showcase Nigeria's unique destinations and promote domestic tourism in Nigeria. Having travelled to 33 states of the country, Bolaji is a Travel writer, tourism promoter, and Tour operator. He has bagged a number of awards for 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, Champions of Domestic Tourism in Nigeria 2023, and many more. A holder of a Bachelor's Degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, Bolaji was inducted into the Top 100 Tourism Personalities in Nigeria in 2019. In 2023, he was recognised as one of the Africa Travel 100 Under 40 Awards by Akwaaba Travel Market. Follow Bolaji on Instagram: @seunbolaji24 @naijaexplorerss

Ayomofe Yejide Runsewe created an online travel company called Naija Nomads after an eye-opening trip to Morocco in 2011. Mofe started her travel platform in 2015 due to the lack of stories from Nigerian travelers. There were no online resources that Nigerians could relate to, and she wanted to change that. Since then, Naija Nomads has evolved from a blog to a full company that provides all kinds of travel needs, from content to experiences. It curates travel experiences and organizes group and custom travel trips for Nigerian green passport holders. She also runs Casa Nomads, a premier Short-Term Rental Company in Nigeria, that provides a “Home Away From Home” for their visitors. Follow Ayomofe on Instagram: @mofya @naijanomads Follow Ayomofe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yejide-ayomofe-runsewe-93b28048

Known as the Alárìnká of Africa, Omotoke Fatoki is a dedicated tourism promoter and “Travel Africa” Advocate. Her journey of backpacking across all 36 states in Nigeria garnered her numerous recognitions and awards, including being honored as Travel Blogger of the Year, Rising Star of the Year in Africa, Top 100 Tourism Promoter in Nigeria, and Tourism Personality of the Year. In 2023, she explored 13 West African countries in 70 days which earned her numerous accolades like the Rising Star of the Year (Tourism) by the Pyne Awards Africa. She is the Founder of Impact Adventurers Africa - An Impact and SDGs-oriented travel community that uses travel to positively impact the lives of people and communities visited. She has been featured in prestigious magazines and TV channels like BBC, Channel TV, Genevieve Magazine, Sparks Nigeria, Zikoko Mag, and other reputable mentions. Through her passion for promoting travel and reshaping perceptions of Africa, she strives to inspire people to explore the beauty and richness of the continent, whilst giving back to the communities visited. Follow Omotoke on Instagram: @thattokelady_ Follow Omotoke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omotokefatoki

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. 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. Follow Dr. Raphael on Instagram: @drraphaeljames Follow Dr. Raphael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-raphael-james-25182b3b

Omowumi Etiko is a travel and tourism expert with over 12 years’ experience in human resource management as well as travel and logistics management across industries. She is the founder and CEO of nuSafiri Hospitality which comprises of the nuSafiri Experience (focused on luxury bespoke travel) and nuSafiri Consulting (focused on Human Resource Management within the Hospitality industry). She holds a BA in Psychology from the Catholic University of America and an M.sc in Human Resources Management from the University of Sheffield and is certified by IATA. Omowumi and her team have lovingly executed countless memorable bespoke travel experiences, conferences and several group destination celebrations in 6 of the 7 continents of the world. Her clientele spans from individuals, families and leisure groups to corporates and celebrities. She is an avid promoter of inbound tourism with a passion for innovation and helping people, and she is willing to serve with excellence in the tourism and hospitality industry. This has led her to work on several initiatives to support homegrown talent, pushing the boundaries of creativity, arts and culture in Nigeria amongst which are Kidszone at Landmark beach, the Dance World Africa conference and Art X Lagos. Firms such as Landmark Africa, Tangerine, The Discovery Center, Hans & Rene, Omilola Oshikoya International, Navitas and more are also in her repertoire. Follow Omowumi on Instagram: @omowumietiko, @nusafiri Follow Omowumi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omowumi-etiko-57773251

Sòókò Deji Ajomale-McWord is the Founder of Sports, Tourism & Diplomacy Forum (Formerly African Sports Tourism Week), World Sports Tourism Day, Organizer of International Diplomacy Stableford Golf Tournament, Editor-In-Chief of Afri Diplomat Magazine and Managing Director at Diplomacy Publishing & Events and Commissioner of Sports Tourism, African Tourism Board. He has been recognized as one of the 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 the International Hospitality Institute. Follow Deji on Instagram: @themcword Follow Deji on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prince-deji-ajomale-mcword-638941b5