Aviation
Wakanow appoints Adenike Macaulay as Chief Executive Officer
The Board of Directors and Management of Wakanow Group has appointed Mrs. Adenike Macaulay as Chief Executive Officer of Wakanow Nigeria effective January 2023.
She is a transformational leader with several years of experience in the travel industry and has led commercial activities for Wakanow since July 2021 as Chief commercial officer.
While announcing her appointment,the Group CEO of Wakanow Group, Mr. Bayo Adedeji said, “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs. Adenike Macaulay as the Chief Executive Officer of Wakanow. She has been an invaluable addition to the management of Wakanow since she joined us and with her vast experience and exposure in the aviation sector, we definitely will consolidate our growth trajectory in Nigeria.
“We are expanding into new verticals and Countries in Africa & beyond to take advantage of new business opportunities in the emerging competitive landscape leveraging our deep competence and expertise in the travel tech industry, and I will be leading this venture as Group CEO” he added.
“We are very excited about the bright future ahead of us in the African travel and tourism industry by providing end-to-end services easily accessible to every African by leveraging technology and strategic partnerships.”
The new Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Adenike Macaulay said, “ The past 18 months with Wakanow have been immensely exciting as we have recorded several milestones and record breaking results in the history of the company. I’m excited to take on the new responsibility saddled upon me by the board and management of Wakanow and look forward to leading and building with an immensely talented team.”
Prior to joining Wakanow, she was the first female and first Nigerian to be appointed as General Manager of Sales for Lufthansa Group in Nigeria & Equatorial Guinea where she led the teams in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Malabo, driving all commercial and sales activities for Lufthansa Group in the region.
She is the immediate past Chairperson of the International Air Transport Association Local Customer Advisory Group (LCAG) and Vice Chair of the IATA Agency Program Joint Council (APJC).
She holds an MBA from the University of Warwick in the UK, a BSc in Systems Engineering from the University of Lagos, and a Professional Diploma from the Digital Marketing Institute, Ireland amongst other qualifications.
She was recently recognised by the International Hospitality Institute as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Africa’s Travel and Hospitality industry. She was also recognized by Leading Ladies Africa as one of Nigeria’s 100 most inspiring women in 2019, by Guardian Nigeria as Woman of the week in March 2019 and by Poets & Quants as top 100 MBAs worldwide in 2020.
Wakanow has become renowned for her support to local and international airlines and enhancing the Nigerian aviation industry with distinct products and services. The travel tech company is built to cater to all the travel needs of travel enthusiasts from flights, hotels, holiday experiences, visa processing, COVID-19 tests, among other offerings for Nigerian travelers.
Aviation
Aviation sector to benefit from RIDF
Aviation is set to be part of key economic drivers that will benefit from President Bola Tinubu’s proposed Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).
In a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, the fund targets strategic sectors like agriculture, transportation, ports, energy, healthcare, and education along with aviation.
The initiative plans to inject funds into vital national projects to foster growth, bolster local value addition, generate jobs, and spur innovation.
Efficient use of low-interest loans and financing options will secure advantageous arrangements for project financing and operation.
The focus on aviation enhancement involves modernising major airports nationwide with targeted investments and infrastructure upgrades.
The statement reads, “On aviation enhancement, the focus is on the revitalization and modernization of major airports nationwide. Through targeted investments and infrastructure upgrades, major airports will undergo comprehensive refurbishment, including improvement in terminal facilities, runway expansions, and the implementation of cutting-edge technologies to enhance safety and operational efficiency.”
For agricultural infrastructure, the focus includes developing robust networks like storage facilities and irrigation systems.
In port revitalisation, the goal is to modernise facilities and attract investments to enhance Nigeria’s regional trade hub status.
“By modernizing port facilities and implementing advanced monitoring systems, the goal is to optimize efficiency, attract investments, and bolster Nigeria’s position as a regional trade hub,” the statement read.
Key road projects like Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road aim to enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth.
Rail projects like Lagos-Kano and Eastern lines will modernise transportation networks for speed and reliability.
President Tinubu’s approval of the RHIDF absorbs the PIDF, expediting project delivery for Nigerians’ benefit.
Projects funded under the RHIDF will have a national spread, reflecting the commitment to equitable development.
Aviation
ICAO Aviation security audit team debriefs Nigeria, indicates strong outing
The Team Lead of ICAO Security Audit Programme, Callum Vine, announced Nigeria’s strong performance during a debrief after its Audit.
Nigeria recently concluded the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Security Audit Programme the continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA) according to a statement emanating from Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, FAAN, Obiageli Orah.
The USAP-CMA aims to improve aviation security compliance by analysing Member States’ performance and implementation of security standards. It focuses on Annex 17: Security Standards and Annex 9: facilitation compliance, along with associated procedures and security practices.
The event held at NCAA Headquarters saw Vine praise Nigeria’s robust policies and agencies, acknowledging their speed in addressing identified deficiencies without complaints.
He mentioned that the full audit report would be available within 60 days, followed by a 30-day period for comments.
FAAN’s Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, affirmed using the audit results as a roadmap for continuous improvement.
She urged stakeholders to collaborate closely, share best practices, and uphold the highest security standards in the industry.
The debrief was attended by Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, representing the Minister, and Captain Chris Najomo, Acting Director General of NCAA.
Aviation
Arik Air receives Best Sustainable Airline Company award
Arik Air has bagged the award for Best Sustainable Airline of the Year, 2024 by the World Quality Alliance and Quality Standards Journal.
The airline’s Public Relations and Communications Manager, Mr Adebanji Ola, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos.
Ola said the award was presented to the airline at the National Quality Summit 2024 held on March 22 in Abuja.
According to Ola, the Award General Committee of the National Quality Order of Merit, said the award was meant to celebrate leadership innovations and creativity in quality management.
Ola noted that Dr Ovie Shaka, Vice Chairman, Organising Committee of the National Quality Order of Merit Awards 2024, explained that the award was aimed at identifying, recognising and rewarding companies.
“The award also aims at rewarding personalities and products that apply quality assurance culture and quality management best practices.”
He said the award was presented by Stanley Ohenhen, on behalf of the Organising Committee and received by Arik Air’s Director of Safety, Capt. Jide Bakare.
Ola quoted Arik Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, as saying that the award is another testament of the airline’s fastidious adherence to operational safety standards.
Ilegbodu said Arik Air was committed to continual improvement of the management system and operational performance.
Recall that Arik Air also won the 2023 Best In-flight Service Airline by the Nigerian Aviation (NIGAV) Award.
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