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She has become a respected voice in African tourism, advocating collaborative efforts to address challenges and unlock opportunities for growth.
Ola Wright is the President/Chief Executive Officer of the West Africa Tourism Organisation (WATO) a regional, non-governmental tourism board focused on developing and promoting tourism within the West and Central African region, while also representing the region’s tourism potential internationally.
She spoke with Daily Sun in London recently about the just concluded World Travel Market (WTM) which took place from 4 -6 of November at Excel in London. She also went down memory lane to speak of her journey in the tourism business and lots more.
Can you give us an insight into your academic background?
My academic background is in science — I studied Applied Biology, Life Sciences and Advanced Immunology at the university. However, my career path took a creative turn. I ventured into fashion and image management, becoming a qualified image consultant and etiquette trainer, teaching social, business and dining etiquette.
From there, I transitioned into event planning and wedding coordination, obtaining professional certification as a wedding planner. Many of my clients required destination weddings, honeymoons, or conference travel, so I naturally found myself coordinating their travel logistics.
Over time, I realised that the travel agencies I worked with were often slow or lacked the depth of information I needed. So, around 1999–2000, I decided to set up my own travel agency while living in the UK.
To gain proper industry knowledge, I completed three professional travel and tourism courses in one year—a programme that typically takes three years to finish. Once I obtained all the necessary licences and certifications, I launched my agency and began operating professionally.
After mastering the travel agency side, I expanded into tour operations, creating and packaging unique holidays. One of our signature programmes is Freedom Pilgrims, which reconnects people of African descent in the diaspora with their ancestral roots across Africa.
While building Freedom Pilgrims, I noticed how difficult it was to access reliable tourism information across West Africa—even as a Nigerian. This challenge inspired me to establish a centralised platform for tourism information, collaboration, and promotion across the region.
That idea evolved into what is now the West Africa Tourism Organisation (WATO) — initially a marketing and promotions initiative that has since grown into a fully-fledged regional tourism body with a professional board of experts working across the West and Central African region.
Are you based in the UK or Nigeria?
I am based in Nigeria, though I travel frequently. I relocated permanently in 2013, but I continue to work across regions.
What’s your view on Nigerian tourism?
Nigerian tourism is an enigma — full of immense potential yet hindered by systemic challenges. Unlocking that potential will require selfless, knowledgeable professionals who genuinely understand the industry.
Unfortunately, much of the focus has been on self-promotion and profiling, rather than sectoral development. Both public and private stakeholders often lack the technical expertise and collaborative spirit needed to move the industry forward.
In Nigeria today, anyone can call themselves a tour operator or travel agent, even without the proper training, licensing, or understanding of how to package or cost a tour. This lack of regulation hurts the industry’s credibility.
By contrast, in countries like the UK, strict licensing, bonding, and insurance are required to operate professionally. We need similar standards here.
Despite these challenges, there are a few exceptional Nigerian tour operators who adhere to international best practices and cater to global clientele. Some of their foreign partners run successful back-to-back tours to Nigeria—often without much publicity.
Overall, what Nigeria’s tourism sector needs most is structure, regulation, professionalism, and synergy between the public and private sectors.
What was your upbringing like?
I grew up in both Nigeria and the UK, constantly moving between the two. I completed my O-Levels in the UK, and all my further and higher education—college, university, and postgraduate studies—were also in the UK.
Growing up in the UK as a Nigerian teenager was an interesting experience. Back then, there were very few Africans in schools, so we all knew and supported each other. It’s very different now—Nigerians are everywhere in British schools and universities.
My family has deep British ties. My grandfather moved to the UK in 1903 at age three, and in 1922, at just 22 years old, he became one of the first Nigerians called to the Bar at Inner Temple, London. Despite these strong British roots, my father insisted that we maintain our Nigerian culture and language—we all speak Yoruba—so I grew up with both worlds deeply ingrained in me.
What lessons have you learned in life?
Life has taught me humility, kindness, and the importance of integrity. My guiding principle is to fear God and conduct business with a conscience.
I’ve also learned that being kind doesn’t mean being weak. In Nigeria, especially, people can mistake gentleness for naivety, so I’ve had to learn to balance kindness with firmness. Above all, I believe success comes from putting God first and remaining grounded no matter how far one goes.
WTM (World Travel Market) 2025 just concluded. How did WATO and Nigeria participate, following last year’s spectacular outing?
West Africa was well represented at WTM 2025, with several countries participating and WATO having a regional stand. The celebrations started with WATO and several West African countries winning several awards at the Africa Tourism Awards, held just before WTM
Unfortunately, Nigeria did not have a stand at this year’s WTM. WATO had to step in and anchor Nigeria’s presence in WTM 2024 to avoid embarrassment.
We covered costs on behalf of Nigeria for the Nigerian participation last year, but not all payments have been settled, even now. Despite changes in government administration at the time, WATO honoured commitments to vendors and organisers of the show; however, the government are still owing, creating challenges for 2025 planning. Nonetheless, WATO produced the Nigerian tourism brochure that we make every year. This edition seems to be the best so far, and it has received several compliments.
