2025 Speakers

Adenike Macaulay is a transformational leader with over 16 years' experience in the Travel Industry and a unique expertise in leading multinational organizations through accelerated growth and profitability. Thought leader with a deep understanding of the Sub-Saharan Africa market environment as well as European and Middle Eastern business cultures. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Wakanow.com, Africa's leading travel agency and travel technology firm. Prior to joining Wakanow, she was the first female and first African General Manager sales for Lufthansa Group in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. Recognized worldwide as a prominent voice of African travel and tourism as one of the Top 30 Tourism & Hospitality influencers in Africa by the PYNE awards, and as one of the 100 most powerful persons in Africa Hospitality by the International Hospitality Institute in 2022, amongst other awards.

Vera Iremuah Sharon Ohioma is a tourism enthusiast, advisor and expert dedicated to growing the African Tourism industry sustainably. She is the founder of GATEHUB, a company based in Lagos, Nigeria registered in 2017, providing services in consultancy, advisory, project management, marketing, business development, coaching, writing and public speaking in the tourism and hospitality space. She has a proven track record of 18+ years of professional experience in leadership, management and marketing of tourism products and services, evolving as a vision board coach, helping entrepreneurs and companies to set SMART goals – she has worked successfully with 15+ clients. She served as a mentor at the “GrowHer” mentorship program as a volunteer. She is the lead initiator of project :Tourism Invest Africa (TIA) in collaboration with 2 experts, an initiative to leverage on AFCFTA to expand the tourism sector by connecting investment with sector opportunities, and showcasing investment-ready tourism businesses at trade fairs such as the intra-African trade fair (IATF) to network with global leaders, investors and sign deals. Vera is excited about telling the African stories through tourism. Vera holds a bachelor of science degree in Conflict management resolution and certifications in Airline Marketing, Tourism and Travel Management, and Sustainable Tourism: Society & Environment. She currently is the African Ambassador for an online European magazine “Travel Employees’ Network,” serves as an Ambassador, African Tourism Board (ATB) and an advisory board member for African Association of Women in Tourism and Hospitality (AAWTH).

Rasheedah Jubril is a hospitality executive and wellness strategist known for her work in building luxury residences, spas, and lifestyle guest experiences in Nigeria. Over the past five years, she has played a pivotal leadership role at The Seattle Residences and Spa, helping to shape what is now the broader SRS Collection, a portfolio that includes Pier Harbour Residences and Spa, Clayhall, two destination spas, and a waterfront restaurant, The GoodLife Restaurant. Her expertise spans hotel and brand launches, wellness programming, and curated long-stay experiences that blend calm luxury with intentional design. With almost a decade of experience at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, including regional business development roles within West Africa, Rasheedah brings a global mindset and deep strategic insight into guest engagement, partnerships, and property positioning. She holds an MSc in International Business and continues to champion lifestyle-led hospitality across Africa through thoughtful storytelling, emotionally resonant spaces, and wellness-forward hospitality models

Ntewak Umoh is a leading Hospitality Business & Inventory Management Consultant and Trainer with over 17 years of experience driving excellence in hotels and restaurants across Africa. She is the Founder of Hotel Emergency Room (Hotel ER), with her team, they deliver pre-opening, intervention, training, and turnaround services for hospitality businesses. She also leads the Hospitality Inventory Collective as Founder & Convener, driving initiatives and training programs that equip storekeepers, cost controllers and inventory teams with practical skills in inventory management, food costing, pricing, and back-of-house operations. Renowned for her operational strategies, employee-focused programs, and passion for service culture, Ntewak is a trusted authority helping hospitality leaders achieve efficiency, profitability, and world-class standards.

Francis Ogosi is a leading figure in African hospitality with a legacy of excellence spanning more than two decades. As Hospitality Manager at Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, he oversees the daily operations and service delivery of Nigeria’s most iconic eco-tourism destination. Francis is the founder of BlueByte Hospitality Ltd., established in 2009 to elevate hospitality operations and service standards across Nigeria and West Africa. He has managed and revitalized over 15 properties. A Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) and Tourism and Hospitality Consultants, Francis is known for combining strategic foresight with guest-first thinking to deliver hospitality assets that are both operationally sound and emotionally resonant. At Ikogosi, his leadership plays a central role in service excellence, staff empowerment, and long-term guest satisfaction aligned with Glocient’s mission to build sustainable, world-class hospitality brands in Africa.

Sampson is a highly accomplished and results-driven Hotel Manager with over 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry, specializing in boutique and luxury hotels. He has played a key role in the pre-opening and consulting of several boutique hotels across Nigeria, including The Art Hotel, Civic Centre Hotel, Chrome Hotel, and Adaline Lagos. A graduate of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sampson is known for his hands-on, interactive training approach, blending real-world industry insights with practical learning techniques. Throughout his career, Sampson has developed a proven track record in hotel pre-opening, operational management, and team leadership. Sampson is also highly skilled in the use of leading Property Management Systems (PMS), currently uses 7 PMS’s including Opera, Biodux, HotelPlus, WinHMS etc. enabling him to manage hotel operations seamlessly and efficiently. He repositioned The White Orchid Hotel as a foremost destination where notable people, foreigners and high networking individuals lodged. In 2024- 2025 all through the year the hotel was number one on Booking.com in its competitive set and became a CNN partner under his leadership winning multiple awards for the organization Passionate about continuous learning, he stays updated with industry trends to equip professionals with the skills needed to thrive. His weekly LinkedIn posts inspire a growing audience of 35,000+ professionals and 33,000 across other platforms, making him a recognized thought leader in the field.