From Christy Anyanwu, in London
Olanma Ojukwu is a trade and tourism consultant, destination influencer and co-founder of Gota International Group, a renowned travel agency and tour business in the Republic of Benin.
Sunday Sun met her at the just-concluded World Travel Market (WTM) in London, United Kingdom. Her attire of a long flowing African print gown was the star attraction at the event and this reporter walked up to the captivating woman to find out what makes her tick, her achievements and forthcoming projects, among other issues.
Tell us about yourself?
I am Olanma Ojukwu and I have been one of the Nigerian-registered travel and tourism companies in Benin for 14 years. We have offices in Lagos and Togo and headquarters in Benin. I flew with three airlines in Nigeria as an air hostess before I relocated to Benin in 1999. Ever since, we have been doing land travels between Nigeria and Benin. We have a product we call Weekend Francophone and Weekend Anglophone, which mean English weekend and French weekend. We take the Beninese to Lagos to experience the weekend and Nigerians into Benin to experience Benin and make them discover new things. You know too well that our border (Seme) is something else. With all the experience I gained through Mr Ikechi Uko and Akwaaba Travel Market, I was for several years a convener in their talks, and seamless travels in West Africa. Today, we have a better border, though some of the practices are still there. What we do is establish the land travel where we pick you up wherever you are in Lagos, and help you go through the border without talking to anybody. Our protocol handles all the formalities to and fro. In those days, we brought clients from Benin to come and fly out of Nigeria, but today the reverse is the case. They come to Benin because of the Nigerian exchange rates. So, we position ourselves as a bridge. We are able to keep you and house you in Benin; you travel and, on your return date, we do the same and take you back to base. We initiated Easter in Israel in 2014, but because of COVID-19, we didn’t go for two years. This is our ninth edition into Israel. Every Easter, we travel to Israel. I represented American Airlines for six years in Benin. When we finished in 2009, we began to do American trips. At Akwaaba, we met the Royal Caribbean Cruise. Now, we have been doing Caribbean tours, since 2017, every August.
You look stylish in your outfit, what informed your mode of dressing?
Whenever we come to places like this, we try to sell our country by our outfits. For the three days of WTM, you won’t be seeing me in English wears. The Beninese are special in African wears. They spend five to seven years learning how to sew in Cotonou, and they are good.
Given how beautiful you are, have you ever thought of going into modelling?
It was actually through modelling that I got the air hostess job. It was one of the modelling agencies in Surulere that got me the job as an air hostess.
What was it like being an air hostess?
I am an air hostess any day, any time. There’s no retirement in flying. After I resigned, I said any job I would do and I won’t hear the sound of an aeroplane (apart from being an air hostess) even if the money would be more, I won’t accept. I am saying this because it was being an air hostess that made me who I am today. That was what pushed me to go and work for the first travel agency in Benin. From there, I entered the first Benin airline, and from there American Airlines engaged me. And when American Airlines left in 2009, I partnered with my husband and Gota’s Agency was born.
How was your growing up?
I am from Abia State, but got married to an Anambra man. I grew up also in Anambra State. I went to Obosi Primary and Secondary School. Growing up, my classmates thought I was going to be a journalist or newscaster because I loved reading newspapers. I had a brother who was into music and he loved buying newspapers and magazines. I would read about the happenings in Lagos. I would read out the news to my classmates; I was a member of the Reading Club. But life had something else for me. I saw a friend off to the airport and for the first time I witnessed air hostesses and pilots coming out of the airport with their bags looking so elegant. I said, no, this is where I want to go. My friends said I must be very greedy: ‘How come at your level, this is what you are thinking of, coming from the village?’ But I said, God, I want to become an air hostess. After school, I came to Lagos and I went to inquire about the aviation school. When I saw the price, I knew I could not afford it because I just lost my father. A lot of people advised me to go into modelling because of my height and skin, and I said, why not. I later went to Zaria Aviation School and I started flying. That dream became a reality. On my 50th birthday two years ago, I launched a book entitled: “God’s Audacious Will: When There’s a Will There Will Be a Way.” When I was to get married I couldn’t fly and I worked with an inter-state airline. I worked with the first airline in Benin in 2003. Then I went to the American Airlines’ flagship university in Dallas, Texas. This travelling back and forth gave me exposure to another aspect of travelling, which is tourism. It exposed me to the world travel market and other tourism fairs. I attended and had exposure to a lot of realities, which gave birth to all that Gota International Group is today.
As a Nigerian, how is life in Benin?
I went to Benin, but they told me it is not a place to be, it’s not a happening place, they don’t like Nigerians, and so on. But I came to Benin with love. And ever since, this is my 24th year, I have always got love from the people. That led me to get the nationality. I applied for the nationality after 13 years, but when the president came in 2016, he looked for tourism consultants from all over the world and he recruited six and, by his grace, I was one of them. As one of them, I represented the Nigerian government in the Benin market and they were looking for a tourism consultant and I happened to be one of them; that was what gave me my nationality. Benin, as far as I am concerned, would give you the best of them when you give them the best of you.
What lessons have you learnt about life?
You are to remain focused on whatever your passion is leading you towards. Ignore all sorts of distractions which come from competitors. Just remain focused. No matter what challenges come, or side talk, ignore them and move on. Very soon, at the destination, those that do the side talk would come and clap with you. Those that had mocked you would come and rejoice with you. But if you listen to them at this building stage, you will not be able to finish strong.
Your is advice to young ladies who want to become air hostess?
First of all, you have to go with the motto of being a cabin crew, which is keep smiling even when it hurts because this will have a way of becoming your lifestyle. Even after I have stopped flying for so many years, it has affected every approach I face in life. Even when it hurts, I am smiling and it has made me become a continuous, positive, consistent thinker, which has yielded positive results unending. They should know that there are daily basic reasons that make you want to stop smiling, but the day you stop smiling, you will stop being worthy of flying in the air.