His first attempt as a
businessman was in publishing. The product, Travellers’
Weekend gave him the platform he needed to explore. A
couple of years later, it transformed into African
Travel Quarterly to embrace a bigger vision that
encompassed the African continent. Uko was becoming
better known at what he did, not only in Nigeria, but
throughout Africa and around the world. What helped him
to rise fast on the ladder of recognition in the travel
and tourism world is his hunger for knowledge. His
appetite to consume information is ravenous.
The Akwaaba Travel Market
which Uko established as a platform for buyers and
sellers in the African travel trade recently clocked 10
years. Uko recalled the initial challenge. For him, it
was exciting because it was a new journey. He had no
fear. There was nothing to lose. Organising the travel
exhibition is like going to school all over again. It
has not been a bed of roses. He learnt many instructive
things, particularly about the attitude of Nigerians.
“Every Nigerian believes he knows something about
something, when in actual fact they have never really
interrogated that thing. I see it manifest in so many
areas.
His travails as a
pathfinder aside, Uko loves the life he lives. He loves
the travels, meeting people and the surprise of arriving
a destination. In 10 years of Akwaaba, the last edition
has been the most challenging. There was a lot to lose
on account of the Ebola scourge which made countries and
businesses that had booked space at the exbition to
cancel at the last minute. Happening at a time that he
had separated the exhibition arm from the parent
company, he needed to make the corporate name stick on
the mind of participants. At this time, Uko who has been
working closely with his wife, Rita, all these years
desires to expand the business beyond his immediate
family. But what he refused to do is to copy how the
travel fair is done elsewhere. He insists on developing
a uniquely African type travel market. “I will enter any
relationship that will help in achieving the vision. We
are open to that but we have had offers where people
want to buy the platform for political reasons and for
some other things. That means it is no more a travel
exhibition. It is probably an event. We understand this
is a critical part of the whole industry which is a
travel marketing platform so if there is any
collaboration that extends the vision, that is why we
join some international organisations like the IITF
because we thought these are the sort of collaborations
that we need. Locally, we have had some government
agencies trying to partner or get involved. We are not
interested in just doing events. We are interested in
doing things that work.”
The Akwaaba Awards which
is a critical component of the exhibition has become one
of the most-sought-after and treasured reward plaque in
the industry. But Uko does not see why a lot of people
break their heads over the award. “If you make the award
an event, it takes away from the exhibition, then we
defeat the aim. The awards ceremony sets the stage and
raises the energy that drives the exhibition. That is
what creates the energy. We believe in starting strong.
When we do that we can actually concentrate on the
exhibition because our strength should be in the
exhibition. We are not really interested in people who
come for the awards and the glamour. Our concentration
is on the business of the exhibition. If we are so
focused on that, that’s when we sustain the process.
Some of the brands that have won the awards have fizzled
out. So we are more concerned about the exhibition and
the value we create. We are so committed to that. An
award ceremony alone cannot sustain the vision. Most
brands built around awards do not survive. “Akwaaba is
Uko’s biggest project yet. The logistics that goes into
its planning is mind-boggling and it is a surprise that
he works with a close-knit team of family members and
staff. To understand the giant leap that project has
taken in one decade. “The budget for the first year was
less than a million. But taxes and logistics were huge.
One speaker’s flight ticket alone cost $10,000, that is
business class, from Germany to Nigeria. It cost more to
bring international speakers than to organise the event.
That was why we didn’t bother to ask for One thing that
makes Uko particularly happy is the capacity of Akwaaba
to attract very distinguished personalities from around
the world. “We are the first to honour the guy who
organised the World Cup in South Africa. After that, we
started getting honours for the other people. When we
did the Legends of Travel. We honoured Sir Dauda Jawara,
the former president of Gambia and Captain Mohammed of
Ethiopian Airline. We have honoured the biggest
Egyptologist in the world. We have two sets of awards.
it is a duty for Akwaaba to add value.”
Where ever there is a
travel exhibition, Uko is there. It is his classroom for
knowledge. He has been at every World Travel Market
since 1998. “I became a travel expert by learning to do
what others do- go to travel exhibitions. I have been
attending WTM since 1998 and practically every major
exhibition. I attend all the workshops. We lack skills
in travel and tourism. It is to give people an
opportunity to learn from those who have done it well
and learn. I read relevant materials. We have created a
platform for people to take advantage of but people
still come to ask me for help that is available to them
at Akwaaba. They ask for connections that they could
have made at the exhibition. Akwaaba has succeeded in
the goodwill. There is a group of people who have the
knowledge and desire to see something like this. And
Akwaaba has succeeded because of these people.”
.jpg)
The
African Diaspora: Current
Commentary
x
How
does Books
for Africa help Darfur Children? .
Go
