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By Chinelo Obogo
A frontline presidential candidate for the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA) election which comes up on April 26, 2024, Mr. Daisi Olotu, has mapped out his strategy on how to reposition the body. The travel expert explained that he aims to tackle divisions between those who use the Go-Lite and Go-Standard business models, advocate for the passage of the abandoned NANTA Act and establishing a system for fair resolution of disputes between travel agents, airlines, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
My plans for NANTA
NANTA has come a long way to where we are today, and it has been to the glory of God. Our founding members and elders have ensured that we are growing and moving forward as a body. I have been a member of NANTA for 24 years and in the industry for 35 years and I see myself as one of the apostles who should not allow the body to be divided or die; that is why I am contesting to contribute my quota. My plan is to be all-inclusive irrespective of our business models.
Within NANTA, we have two business models: Go-Lite and Go-Standard. I was proud to be part of the Bankole Bernard administration that launched Go-Lite, and it’s been a success story. While both models are valuable, Go-Lite can’t thrive on its own, and the same goes for Go-Standard. We need collaboration, a handshake between the two approaches, to truly excel. NANTA thrives on unity. Let’s not allow division based on business models. We’re stronger together.
When I become NANTA president, there is going to be a symposium for ‘Go-Lite’ and ‘Go-Standard’ business models. We are all operating with IATA’s license and there is not going to be any division. We will call everybody together and look at our issues and our problems and proffer solutions to them. We will proceed with the abandoned NANTA Act and ensure it is passed by the National Assembly. When we get the Act, we will make everybody comfortable to play in their space.
Also, we will set up an arbitration panel that will address all issues revolving around the agents and airlines, NCAA will form part of that committee as well. The era where airlines take decisions without recourse to agents will be over.
Tackling quackery
Before you tell the government to come and regulate, you need to regulate yourself first. I was in that administration and I was the national financial secretary when this was birthed and to the glory of God, we launched the NANTA ID card. You can go to the airport and exchange it with an On-Duty Card (ODC) card and you will be able to enter anywhere in the airport which was a very laudable project. The ID card is to be able to identify our members at any Embassy. They could scan it and see all your details and give you access. I am sure that those ID cards would have expired but we will revamp the project.
Acrimony in NANTA
Someone is fanning the embers of discord in NANTA. There is a group of elders but one person pulled out of that elder’s forum. When a set of people are together and the group is not doing something right, it is better to call the elders to order and not to pull out. So many of the elders are retired but are still in the business. Some of them have handed over the business to their children and the businesses are running. If we destroy this business, what are we going to hand over to our children? I wouldn’t want that to happen even to the younger ones that are coming up today. I am very sure that most of the young ones coming up today want to have a business to hand over to their children. If you say that the elders don’t know what they are doing or didn’t manage NANTA very well, you will not even meet anything called NANTA.
I was NANTA vice president, Lagos zone for four years. I was the national financial secretary for another four years but I don’t want to open the can of worms about the palliative that was given to NANTA by the federal government during COVID. People who got money didn’t know how I fought and saved money for the association. I have facts with me that I can publish for people to see but I don’t want to go there.
Trapped funds
This is not in the hands of anybody. It has to do with the general economy of the country and everybody knows that the government we have today is doing everything to ensure we have a stable and sound economy that will have enough inflow of forex. The airlines too should request for their money when due so that they can move their money and not allow it to pile up.
