By Onyekachi Victoria Philip
The Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria (HATMAN), Southwest Zone, has reportedly presented an Award of Excellence to the founder of La Campagne Tropicana Resorts, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, for his contributions to Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry.
The award was presented on Thursday, August 20th, 2026, during the HATMAN Southwest Zone Business, Youth Empowerment and Job Fair 2026 held at The Zone Hall, Gbagada, Lagos State.
The programme, themed around connecting talents to real opportunities in Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry and incorporating youths for optimum performance, brought together tourism and hospitality professionals and hundreds of young people.
Otunba Akinboboye was recognised for his excellent support and execution capability, which HATMAN said has been highly beneficial to the development of the hospitality and tourism industry in Nigeria.
The packed programme featured speakers from different areas of the hospitality and tourism sector, including the Chief Executive Officer of Hospitality Business School, Eric Mekwuye; Chairman of Thesaurus Group of Companies, Mobolaji Olasode; CEO of Noela500holidays, Noela Ifedirah; and food and beverage and spa professional at The Wheatbaker Lagos, Salome Danjuma.
The speakers shared practical knowledge and experiences with the youths, focusing on career development, professionalism, resilience, consistency, financial discipline and the need to understand the wider business behind their chosen careers.
The programme began at exactly 11:21 a.m. with a welcome address and opening prayer by the Zonal Vice President of HATMAN, Detola Olagunju.
Olagunju appreciated the leadership of HATMAN and the HATMAN Board Chairman, Alhaji Dr Aliyu Badaki, for their support towards the programme and the association’s activities.
One of the speakers, Salome Danjuma, who spoke from her experience in human resources and the hospitality sector, encouraged young people to take their appearance and presentation seriously, particularly when attending job interviews.
She also advised youths already working in the industry to invest in their professional appearance and, more importantly, understand the business they work for rather than limiting themselves to simply performing assigned duties.
Danjuma added that understanding the business would enable young professionals to contribute more effectively and grow beyond the basic responsibilities attached to their jobs.
Other speakers also challenged the youths to remain consistent and resilient in their careers while developing sound financial foundations
The discussions were designed to expose participants to practical opportunities within the hospitality and tourism industry while equipping them with knowledge needed to navigate the workplace and build sustainable careers.