NANTA Training In Gambia: Former Tourism Minister, Mas Jobe, leads faculty members

 

Andrew Iro Okungbowa

 

 

As members of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) arrived The Gambia for its training session, the National President of the body, Yinka Folami, has announced the faculty members for the programme, with the former Gambia Minister of Tourism, Fatou Mas Jobe, headlining the list.

According to Folami, who is leading the over 90 registered travel trade professionals to the one-week training and tourism trade exposure, the faculty members were carefully chosen by the NANTA training focal team of Susan Akporiaye, who is the immediate Past President of NANTA and its current First National Deputy President, Mrs Chinyere Umeasiegbu, both of whom are credited with global tourism experience and reputation certifications covering all aspects of the industry.

Folami noted that the former Minister of Tourism of the Gambia, who is a known specialist in luxury resort management and funding, will share her innovative management skills with the NANTA trainees

Mas Jobe holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration, who aside helping to transform the tourism business in The Gambia as Minister, is a known global advocate and mobiliser of tourism funding. She headlined a $12 million World Bank five years marketing project in strategic collaboration with private sector operators, generating a record 500, 000 tourist arrivals for the Gambia.

 

She is also credited for transforming The Gambia Tourism Authority and the Gambia Hotel School to The Gambia Tourism and Hotel Institute, attracting critical funding from the Spanish government.

Dr. Adama Bah is another experienced expert in the training faculty, with over 40 years’ experience, spanning critical development and knowledge milestones across various sectors of the industry in The Gambia and across the globe.

Bah is the Director and Chairman of the Institute of Travel and Tourism of The Gambia.  He is also a foundation member of the Association of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET).

Mr Mutiu Kolawole Ambali, is a lead lecturer and head of the Tourism and Hospitality Department of the University of The Gambia. He completes the NANTA training faculty and holds a Masters of Science Degree in Tourism Development, with focal experience in tourism and hospitality management. He also holds a first degree in Agricultural Economics.