Ehiogie O Hope is the CEO/Accountable Manager, Enived Air and Logistics Ltd. In this interview with WALE OLAPADE, he speaks on his plan to create seamless collaboration in the Nigeria airspace and other sundry issues.
You recently opened an operational office for Enived Air in Abuja, what is the motive behind that move?
Actually since we got our ATOL and with plans to start special travel operations, Abuja is key to that plan. We are also working on other states where we will be servicing when Enived air fully commences its scheduled operations soon by God’s grace. As you know, we are favouring five major start out routes in Nigeria.
We can say the motive is to be able to influence the travel reality in Nigeria starting from the capital.
With the recent NCAA Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted Enived Air & Logistics Ltd, what should the travel public expect and what are your mandate?
For one who have embarked on what many called an impossible journey/dream/vision, every milestone encourages us to keep going.
For those who have been following the Enived dream for years, you will agree with me that we come with a standard that focuses on each individual. As we like to put it “we are big enough to accommodate your travel dreams and we are small enough to walk this path to success with you as a travel companion”.
For us at Enived Air, it’s not just about flying but building a community of travel enthusiasts, travel service providers and of course, travel service buyers too. So receiving the ATOL has further energised us to keep going. I personally believe that the reality of Enived Air as an indigenous airline and being from Edo State after the defunct Okada Air owned by our respected father in the state, the Esama of Benin Kingdom, I believe it will set a platform of possibilities for other young people to go all out for their dreams. I don’t believe anything is impossible. Expect fun, smiles, culture, family experience, transparency, safety and of course, royalty. We are currently building an amazing team of young but smart people under the mentorship of those who have gone ahead of us. Our team will be very exciting and that you can be double sure.
In what ways are you going to activate the partnership bid to effectively benefit from the industry business value chain to reflect your love for stakeholders’ engagement?
Yeah cultural exchange is one area I have always had a knack for. It is not always my nature to spend time talking about what I plan to do as I am always more comfortable telling what I am already doing. Engagements are currently ongoing with some government representatives in Africa on a possible tourism roundtable where I will also be proffering what I believe are workable solutions to help us benefit more from our rich cultural heritage as Africans. We must deliberately put an end to always seeing a fellow African as a suspect. We are not inferior to anyone. For instance, in Nigeria, there isn’t any time without a festival happening somewhere in the country. Nevertheless, what benefit does this bring to the communities? Tourism, if leveraged upon, can help a lot in solving unemployment problem. We must begin to rebrand our travel market and tell the world our stories and not the other way round that comes with all sorts of stereotypes. You can’t change a system you are not part of. With Enived Air coming into the air space, through collaboration, we have started and we believe it will get better. Receiving the ATOL was a major boost for this move too.
Another area of interest you intend to create sustainable business pact with other African countries is through culturally exchange programme, how are you going to achieve this bid?
Yeah as I mentioned earlier the tourism roundtable will be a solution ground for the industry. Most of the possible destinations to sell are under government’s control so we need to have the government discuss with private stakeholders on what they expect as well as hear from the private operators on how these sites can be developed, partnered with and sold to create employment for the youth while generating good revenue for states.
The Yankari Games Reserve for instance is a goldmine waiting to be tapped so are other amazing destinations around Nigeria and other African countries. We owe it to ourselves to be the solution to the problem we analyse always. We also owe it to the next generation to break the barriers of impossibilities so that we all can live out our best potentials. As will be expected, I am open to discussing partnership with any government or private individuals who would want us to work together in doing most of these things.
You plan to have a tourism roundtable with ministers and tourism stakeholders, what is the aim behind it?
I believe I have touched the major areas in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. As one who started with a travel agency (Enived Travels Ltd), I have seen the challenges the downstream faces and I know what to work on to make the market more interesting and profitable for my colleagues.
I know how to create a value chain for various parts of the industry to birth more opportunities for the younger ones too. I never had certain opportunities but I will do all within my power to create platforms to redefine the realities in the industry. For some months now, I have been engaging some leaders on possible collaboration for the good of the industry in not just Nigeria but Africa as a whole. As an airline, we will be creating amazing connections for stakeholders to leverage at various levels to sell a new travel reality in Africa, starting with Nigeria. Government can’t do everything as I have always mentioned. Also, leaders are humans who don’t know everything. I believe everyone has to contribute or suggest possible ways things can be done better rather than always pointing fingers at leaders- we are all a representation of leadership if we can assume this role in our own little corners/space. For me, I have been engaging leaders as well as making constructive contributions to make the travel industry better while ensuring there is a good narrative about airline operations in Nigeria. We have the market and we will bring this out for everyone to enjoy while the world begins to learn a thing or two from the new African market. Some say I am too optimistic, I am guilty as charged.
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