Susan Akporiaye formally takes over as new NANTA President

There has been a major power shift in the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies also known as NANTA, as the former First National Deputy President, Mrs. Susan Akporiaye takes over the mantle of leadership as the new President of the association to make history as the 44^th President of the association.

In her address today, the new President spoke about her emergence.

“Yesterday, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, most able gentleman and leader, Mr. Steve Isokariare sent a message to put me on notice to steer the wheel of our progressive association for the next two years. And this morning, our president, who is now the immediate past president , my brother and friend, Bankole Bernard wrote to hand over the affairs of the association to me in line with consultation with our Board of Trustees and the executive members.”

Susan Akporiaye made a case for not being physically presented to the members of the association as has been the usual culture of the body. According to her, the presentation has been affected by the realities of the "Force Majeure" situation that Corona Virus has brought upon the world as well as Nigeria.

She went on to encourage the members to brave up and overcome the virus called Covid-19 amongst other things. Susan went on to say that she understood that many expressed anxiety about the possibility of a change in baton at this uncertain times, especially with the desirable need to postpone the association’s Annual General Meeting earlier scheduled to hold in Kano, which she said, would have been “an appropriate place where I could have presented my manifesto to you as your incoming President,” but all the same, she urged the members of the association to look ahead and see this as the needed continuity and the birth of a new beginning.  

Teamwork, she said will be her watchword as the association faces the global challenges brought on by COVID-19. She also acknowledged that the association is also presently bedeviled by some pertinent local challenges facing members and their businesses which the new executive must confront and come up with effective strategies to overcome.

“I know there is a huge challenge to re-access our reach and physical engagement process in view of covid 19 and the impact on global Travel. In due course the incoming executives shall engage and consult with all of you as stakeholders in order to establish and validate our priorities,” she added.