National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
A seasoned hospitality professional who has undertaken work in Europe and in Sub Saharan Africa, Initeme Adukeh is the CEO of
Hospitality Groundworks.
She established the organisation after spending years in operations within top multinational hotels establishments such as Mandarin Oriental and Le Meriden. The graduate of University of Plymouth believes that customer service is the foundation of all businesses.
In this interview with Tayo Olanipekun, she speaks on her sojourn in tourism potential. Excerpts:
What’s your best city in the world?
My best city in the world is Port Harcourt, and yes, I know what you’re thinking. Port Harcourt? The amazing garden city? Yes. That one. I love it because its home. My next best is Lagos!
What does the Government need to do ASAP in the tourism sector?
We need to reform our current heritage sites, clean up our beaches, invest in promotion of our local festivals and basically utilize what we have available to us.
Is our food powerful enough to attract people from other parts of the world?
Yes of course, we have a unique authentic flavor. This gives us an edge over a lot of our foreign counterparts. Furthermore, we have a new wave innovative chefs who are representing our food in new and exciting ways; this includes though different fusions and in their presentation.
What would you consider our biggest national attraction? What most people come to experience in Nigeria
We have a vast amount of national attractions which appeal to different people for different reason. I however think a vast amount of people come to experience Nigerian cultural. The festivals, the music, the events and nightlife.
Our cultural items and fabrics are going global what’s your take?
I think it is amazing!! After the Black panther epidemic and Afrocentric rush abroad, the world started paying attention. We have so much to offer and we can do so much more with infusing it into our lifestyle. Like I said we have so much culture that people are interested in learning about, this is one of them.
What would you do if you had 3 months to work as a minister for tourism
I would work with local communities to build and develop our heritages sites. I would also love to incorporate the youths in the community to ensure that they are involved and feel a sense of ownership in their natural offerings. I would love to reform the sites, build traction and create community spirit; while creating revenue from them.
What does Hospitality groundworks do?
Hospitality Groundworks is a hospitality consultancy, based in Lagos Nigeria. We deal with three main sectors:
– Advisory Services
– Hospitality Tourism Specific Human Resources Management
– Operational set up and reform for the service industry
We also advocate for two main causes:
– Heritage site reform and preservation
– Hospitality Tourism youth empowerment and employment.
