Ikechi Uko

Ikechi Uko (born 12 January 1964)[1] is a Nigerian travel business consultant, travel promoter, tourism development expert,[2] media consultant, journalist and author. He is the organizer of Akwaaba African Travel Market, the first international travel fair in West Africa; Abuja Bantaba; and organizer, Accra Weizo and Port Harcourt Bantaba. He is the CEO of Jedidah Promotions (an international media and tourism marketing firm for airlines, hotels and destinations across Africa);[3] project director of Seven Wonders of Nigeria (Naija7Wonders), and publisher of Africa Travel Quarterly Magazine and atqnews.com.

Ikechi Uko
Born (1964-01-12) 12 January 1964
Abia State, Nigeria
Occupation(s)Media Consultant, Tourism Development Expert
Years active1991–present
Organizations
SpouseMarried with children
Websiteatqnews.com

Early life

Ikechi Uko is from Abia State, Nigeria. He was born on 12 January 1964 into the family of Mr Samson Uko and Mrs Salome Uko, née Azubuike. At a young age, Uko had an eye on travel. He could give up anything to discover new places. He attended National Secondary School Nike, Enugu. He worked as ticketing officer with Nigeria Airways ABC in Enugu. He studied Geography at the University of Ibadan and graduated in 1985. He did his National Youth Service Corps in Bauchi State, from where he moved to Kano State and taught in Gwarzo Secondary School, Gwarzo, and Rogo Secondary School, Rogo. In 1988, he returned to the University of Ibadan to obtain his Msc in Geography with emphasis on environmental planning and remote sensing. He graduated in 1990 and went ahead to obtain certificate in Journalism from Times Institute of Journalism and Prince2 Practitioners Licence. His father played a huge role in cementing his passion, travel: Mr Samson Uko worked with the Nigerian Railway Corporation and kept books. As a child, Ikechi spent his holidays reading those books and travelling to new places in the course of his father's job.[4] His late mother, Mrs Salome Uko, a teacher, steered his early life towards Geography and taught him lessons in enterprise.

Career

The Abia State born travel enthusiast, whose dressing is incomplete without a hat or a neck scarf, is a very well traveled person, traveling close to 200 days in a year.[5] He was editor of Tourism Factfinders, a book on Nigeria published to mark Nigeria's hosting of The Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit in 1991. In 1991 to 1992 he was tourism editor of Happy Land, Happy World tourist Guide. Happy Land, Happy World was the Nigerian version of Disneyland, Disney World, a project that did not materialize when its Certificate of Occupancy was revoked by the Lagos State Government. Realizing the lack of literature that deeply documents the unique festive celebrations in Nigeria, in 1998 he published Festivals In Nigeria in collaboration with The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

His passion for traveling and adventures led him to the publication of Travelers Weekend Magazine, a weekly magazine in 1996, along which he launched Travelers Awards.[6] Travelers Weekend was the first regular travel magazine in West Africa. With the aim for the magazine to set the pace and to be Africa's forerunner in the travel world, in 2003 Travelers Weekend Magazine was rebranded as African Travel Quarterly (ATQ). In 2004 he launched Travelers Awards and Exhibitions, the first attempt at introducing an exhibition into the travel environment. In 2005, Travelers Awards and Exhibition was rebranded as Akwaaba African Travel Market. Akwaaba African Travel Market is the only international travel fair in West Africa. With participation from international dealers in travel, tourism, aviation and the hospitality industries, it is regarded as "’Where Africa meets the world". Akwaaba African Travel Market is designated by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) as the official travel exhibition in Nigeria. 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)[7] and the only member of International Tourism Trade Fairs Association (ITTFA) in West Africa[8]

In 2010, with the ATQ magazine team, he set up a committee to choose the 7 wonders of Nigeria, popularly known as Naija7Wonders.[9] This was inspired by the poems of Pliny the Elder on the ancient wonders of the world and the ancient principles of Philo of Byzantium's collection of marvels from around the world.[10] After a thorough and detailed search of two years by tourism, hospitality and tour experts, with public voting, in 2012,[11] the project team published the man made wonders of Nigeria, and the seven most sensitive, critical and exquisitely unique of them were selected as the Naija seven wonders (Naija7Wonders).[12][13] These are the man-made wonders of Nigeria driven by the vision of the Marcel Proust quote: "The journey of Discovery is not in seeing new things but in seeing old things with new eyes". Naija7wonders, Nigeria most dramatic, breathtaking and unique man-made structure, is endorsed by national bodies and associations in tourism, and applauded by international organizations.[14] One of the least known of the seven wonders of Nigeria sites, the Benin moat was visited by UNESCO led by Prof.Wole Soyinka,[15][16] and former Director General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Otunba Segun Runsewe referred to the Naija7Wonders as an epoch in the advancement of tourism development in Nigeria.[17]

Having noticed that in Nigeria most travel businesses concentrate on Lagos without taking cognizance of the huge travel potentials in other northern states, especially Abuja, being the capital of Nigeria, on 5 July 2011, he launched Abuja Bantaba, a one-day speed dating event between investors and clients in the travel and tourism business.,[18] It also includes workshop that keep participants informed of what are going on in those industries to keep with pace with the rest of the world. In celebration of the centenary of Nigeria, on 25 April 2014, the 4th edition of Abuja Bantaba honored 100 personalities who are key players to tourism development in Nigeria.

In 2013, he launched atqnews.com, the online version of African Travel Quarterly Magazine. According to Uko, it focuses on forecast, market and political analyses, which observe development in the areas of travel, transport and tourism from a global perspective and the impact of these on the economies of countries.[19]

On 3 July 2015, he launched Accra Weizo, an event which is 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 Africa region, hosting tourism, aviation and immigration key players and decision makers.[20][21]

In August 2015, he was appointed as the international tourism consultant to the Calabar Carnival[22]

Ikechi Uko is presently pushing his proposal to build an aviation museum for Nigeria using abandoned aircraft as exhibits. He said that the project would promote Nigeria's tourism; empower and educate a new generation of aviators; draw international investors in the aviation industry to Nigeria and would serve as an ‘’ eye- opener’’ to look and work for a brighter future in the aviation industry.[23][24][25]

Awards and appointments

In 2008, he was appointed a member of the tourism committee Nigeria Vision 2020 in the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.[26]

In July 2014, at the 10th anniversary of Kwita Izina, the annual gorilla naming ceremony in Rwanda, one of the most prestigious festivals in Rwanda, Uko was chosen by the government of Rwanda as a representative of Nigeria to be a namer.[27] In 2015, he was appointed consultant to the Calabar Carnival 2016 by the Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, with the vision to reposition Calabar Carnival as the number one carnival event in Africa. As the international tourism consultant for the 2016 Calabar International Festival, Ikechi Uko brought in over ten countries across the continents of the world to participate in the Calabar International Festival.[28] With the success of 2016 Calabar Carnival, he was reappointed in 2016 for the 2017 edition.[29] Ikechi Uko vast expertise in tourism was in sheer display at the Calabar Carnival 2017, with accolades on the Cross River State government in hosting the event to international standard to the delight of tourists, international investors and Nigerians.

In January 2016, The African Sun Times, Africa's number one and largest newspaper in America, awarded Mr. Ikechi Uko, as its Tourism Ambassador of the Year 2015.[30] According to the organizers of the Award, The award came on the heels of Ikechi's ardent practical tourism promotion and development campaign in Nigeria and Africa through different pet projects showcasing the beauty and richness of Africa to the world.[31]

At the 2017 MICE East Africa Forum and Expo held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ikechi Uko was presented with the 2016 MICE East Africa's Tourism and Hospitality Personality Award. The Award was presented to him on his contributions towards the developments of tourism, travel and hospitality businesses and investments in Africa.[32]

References
  1. Andrew Iro Okungbowa "Adventures of Ikechi Uko" Archived 5 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine, New Telegraph, 22 March 2014. Retrieved on 18 September 2015.
  2. "Pan Africanist Ikechi Uko shares thoughts on tourism", The African Dream, 9 September 2015. Retrieved on 18 September 2015.
  3. "Ikechi Uko appointed as Carnival Calabar consultant" Archived 6 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Nigerian Tribune, 2 September 2015. Retrieved on 18 September 2015.
  4. Andrew Iro Okungbowa, "Adventures of Ikechi Uko" Archived 5 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine, New Telegraph, 22 March 2014. Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
  5. Andrew Iro Okungbowa "Adventures of Ikechi Uko" Archived 5 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine, New Telegraph, 22 March 2014. Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
  6. Adie Vanessa Offiong "Nigeria will become major player in Global Tourism - Ikechi Uko", Media Trust, 3 May 2014. Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
  7. "NANTA partners with Akwaaba for W/Africa tourism fair", Media Trust, 20 October 2012. Retrieved on 3 May 2014.
  8. Chinedu Eze "ITTFA welcomes Akwaaba, African Travel MArket" Archived 4 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Thisday, 23 July 2010. Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
  9. "SEARCH FOR 'SEVEN WONDERS' IN NIGERIA BEGINS", The Nigerian Voice, 15 April 2010. Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
  10. "Seven wonders of Nigeria", JetLife Nigeria, 16 July 2013. Retrieved on 8 May 2014.
  11. By This Day Live "Beyond Naija Seven Wonders", NIGERIAN HOMEPAGE, 15 July 2012. Retrieved on 8 May 2014.
  12. "Naija 7 Wonders announces results-Main-National Daily" Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine, National Daily, 30 January 2012. Retrieved on 2 May 2014.
  13. KEMI ASHEFON "Behold Nigeria seven wonder sites" Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine, The Punch, 26 February 2012. Retrieved on 2 May 2012.
  14. "Minister Endorses 'Naija 7 Wonders' Project for Tourism Development", Nigerian Federal Ministry of Information, 8 February 2011. Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
  15. "Naija 7 wonders commends Wole Soyinka for Benin Moat visit", The Nation, 2 March 2013. Retrieved on 2 May 2014.
  16. "Visit to Benin Moat: Uko commends Soyinka" Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine, The Punch, 8 March 2013. Retrieved on 2 May 2014.
  17. Adewole Ajao "Nigeria: Beyond Naija Seven Wonders", AllAfrica.com, 16 July 2012. Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
  18. Andrew Iro Okungbowa "Adventures of Ikechi Uko" Archived 5 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine, New Telegraph, 22 March 2013. Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
  19. "Nigeria: Atqnews Partners NANTA for AGM 2013", AllAfrica.com, 14 April 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  20. Wale Olapade / "Akwaaba Launches Weizo in Ghana, July 3" Archived 1 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved on 5 August 2015.
  21. Vanessa Offiong / "WEIZO SEEKKS SEAMLESS TRAVEL ACROSS W/AFRICA", Daily Trust, 12 July 2014. Retrieved on 5 August 2015.
  22. "Ikechi Uko appointed as Carnival Calabar consultant" Archived 6 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Nigerian Tribune, 2 September 2015. Retrieved on 18 September 2015.
  23. "Let's Use Abandoned Aircraft as Aviation Museum, says Ikechi Uko" Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Thisday, 27 January 2013. Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
  24. "Naija 7 Wonders proposes aviation museum for disused planes" Archived 30 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine, National Daily, 28 January 2013. Retrieved on 2 May 2014.
  25. "Tourism coy to build Aviation Museum", Silverbird Television, 25 January 2013. Retrieved on 2 May 2014.
  26. "ntdc fulfils promise, records historic world tourism day", The Nigerian Voice, 7 October 2010. Retrieved on 7 May, 20114.
  27. "Thousands gather to celebrate the 10th edition of ’Kwita Izina’ as 18 newly born baby gorillas are given names", Government of the Republic of Rwanda, 1 July 2014. Retrieved on 4 July 2014.
  28. "Brazilian band, others return for Calabar Carnival",The Nation. Retrieved on 15 January 2016.
  29. Chuks Nwanne "Ikechi Uko returns as Calabar Carnival consultant", The Guardian (Nigeria), 22 October 2016. Retrieved on 27 June 2017.
  30. Charles Ajunwa "Ikechi Uko Emerges Tourism Ambassador Of The Year 2015", Thisday, 8 January 2016. Retrieved on 15 January 2016.
  31. "Ikechi Uko wins African Man Tourism Man of the Year", Nigerian Tribune, 8 January 2016. Retrieved on 15 January 2016.
  32. Chuks Nwanne "Ikechi Uko wins Tourism Awards in Ethiopia", The Guardian (Nigeria), 17 June 2017. Retrieved on 27 June 2017.
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