By Dickson Omobola

First Deputy National President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, Mrs Chinyere Umeasiegbu, has urged members to support her re-election, saying it would enable her to consolidate on the gains already recorded.

The Managing Director/CEO of Global Links & Services Limited also said, beyond her desire to return and build on the accomplishments of the current administration, it would be an error for NANTA not to have a female in its core national executive and for the Eastern Zone to lack representation at the national level.

Umeasiegbu, who was a Deputy Vice President of the organisation’s Eastern Zone, told newsmen in Lagos that she would not be returning as an armchair leader, but as one with experience who would add value.

The Chevening scholar, former banker and capital market expert promised to open up additional streams of income, saying she would work to ensure the successful implementation of the GoLite payment system if re-elected.

NANTA election is scheduled for April 14 to 18.

She said: “We came in 2024, letting people know that I am passionate about this thing. With my investment background, I want to do something for NANTA that will open up extra streams of income for members. That is what I intend to do if re-elected.

“Going to the World Travel Market, WTM, is part of my vision. An initiative we started is called the International Travel Trade Conference. We started it with South Africa in 2023. The University of Johannesburg gave us certificates for attending and offered those of us who want to come and study tourism the opportunity. In 2025, we signed a deal with The Gambia’s tourism industry.

“Currently, there is a prominent transport company in Nigeria setting up business in The Gambia, and I am engaging them on a Banjul–Dakar route, as they plan to ferry passengers by road from Banjul.

“I am not coming as an armchair leader. I am coming as an experienced professional. I am coming to add value, because that is what I promise and what I do. I am going to build on what has already been started. We do not want disruption at this stage; we need consolidation. During our tenure, we also explored space tourism, taking members to Cotonou and Ghana.

“If it took me a year plus to do all these things that I have mentioned, imagine what I would do if re-elected.”

On the new initiative, she said: “The new initiative that brought me to Lagos is the NANTA Hospitality Initiative, which came up from WTM 2024. I have started it. I have identified hotels, resorts, restaurants and any player in the hospitality space. To that effect, we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lakowe Lakes Resort, which sent us an invite.”

On inclusivity, she said: “If anything goes south in the upcoming election, NANTA, in 50 years, will not have the proper gender equation. That is an abnormality. When we had balance in 2024, there were four or five of us in the expanded exco. Reducing it to nobody at the core would be an anomaly, especially given all the deliverables that I have been able to do in less than two full years. That is a foundation that needs to be consolidated.

“Should we allow for disruption? Should we remove the gender that brought about the foundation? You can see what women do to an ecosystem. We give balance. Also, for NANTA Eastern Zone not to have a core representation, will be an error. So, apart from me wanting to come back to consolidate on the foundational things that started in our administration, for us not to have a female at the core national exco, and for us not to have Eastern Zone at the core national, it will be an error. This should be about deliverables and about fair, equal representation. Let there be experience over experiment. Let there be inclusivity over exclusion. Let there be continuity over disruption.”