Otunba Ayodele Olumoko, a fellow of the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN), has been named Zonal Vice President of the institute.

The National President of the Institute, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo FITPN, extolled the virtues of Otunba Ayodele Olumoko as a dedicated fellow of the Institute who has put in his best efforts to put the Institute on a sound footing during the presentation of the Certificate of Office to Otunba Olumoko at the Institute’s headquarters in Abuja recently.

He said Otunba Olumoko was one of the country’s founding fathers and champions of culture and tourism, and that his efforts had a good impact on ITPN’s upliftment of its beliefs and goals for the institution’s progress.

Chief Odusanwo also urged other Institute members to follow in the footsteps of Otunba Olumoko by remaining steadfast as the Institute’s ambassadors in promoting the Institute’s aims and objectives to the larger Nigerian society, particularly to key players and stakeholders in the travel, tourism, culture, hospitality, and creative industries, as well as their allied branches.

He noted that ITPN has four major mandates which are – to develop and administer Qualifications; approve and monitor training centres and learning providers as certificate awarding body; to provide continuous professional development for private sector operators and public service personnel and to award recognized certificates and membership for every category of staff at different levels of skills in the tourism, and allied areas of the industry.

In his acceptance speech, Otunba Olumoko said he felt highly honoured with the continuous call to professional service which according to him will spur him into offering greater and better services to the Institute in particular and the country’s travel, tourism and hospitality industry at large.

He noted that tourism, especially cultural-tourism remains, one of the country’s untapped goldmines that if properly harnessed, has the potential to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty through job provisions and employment opportunities.

Otunba Olumoko then called on all players and stakeholders in the industry to join hands with ITPN in its efforts to enhance professional practices and conducts of both private sector practitioners and public service personnel to enable the industry provide quality service delivery as well as help in salvaging Nigerian economy for better growth and development.

The ITPN is the Nigerian premier national certification and professional membership body for hospitality, travel-tourism and allied occupations.

It represents members working in the public, private and non-profit making organizations which ensures the highest standards of professional competence of practitioners in the Nigerian tourism and hospitality industry.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.