There is hardly a public appearance by Uzoamaka Oshogwe without her familiar smile. It makes her seem warm and approachable, but it also tells a deeper story about how she handles pressure. For the MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, which owns the iconic Transcorp Hilton Abuja and the 5,000-seat Transcorp Centre Abuja, smiling is not an escape from difficult moments. It is her way of meeting them with courage and optimism.

Oshogwe’s journey did not begin in hospitality. She studied Chemistry before building a career that took her through technology, banking and real estate. Over more than three decades, she worked with organisations including Ford Motors, J. Sainsbury, Accenture and United Bank for Africa. She later led Afriland Properties Plc before taking charge of Transcorp Hotels in January 2025. 

Under her leadership, the company has continued to grow despite Nigeria’s difficult business climate. Transcorp Hotels recorded ₦97.04bn in revenue and ₦21.85bn in profit after tax in 2025. Yet Oshogwe believes the real story lies beyond the figures. For her, a successful hospitality company begins with employees who feel valued and guests who leave with a reason to return. 

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Guardian Life, Oshogwe shares the journey that prepared her for leadership, the strength behind her smile and why caring for people makes good business sense. She also discusses family, Nigeria’s hospitality industry and her plans for the next chapter of Transcorp Hotels.

Before becoming the MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, who was Uzoamaka Oshogwe, and which early experiences shaped the woman and leader you are today?

My journey has not been a straight line, and I think that has shaped the leader I am today.

I studied Chemistry at Ambrose Alli University, but my career took me into technology. I moved to the UK, earned a master’s degree in information systems design from the University of Westminster and went on to work with organisations including Ford Motors, J. Sainsbury, and Accenture. Those early years exposed me to very structured environments and taught me the importance of systems and processes, discipline, attention to detail, and delivering to a high standard.

When I returned to Nigeria, my career evolved again. I worked with United Bank for Africa and later moved into real estate, eventually becoming MD/CEO of Afriland Properties Plc, formerly known as UBA Properties Ltd.

So, before Transcorp Hotels, I spent more than three decades working across different industries, countries, and roles. Perhaps the biggest lesson across all those years is that you have to remain open to learning and change. I certainly did not begin my career thinking I would one day lead one of Nigeria’s foremost hospitality companies. Every experience prepared me for the next one.

Was there a defining moment when you realised that you wanted to lead, and how did it influence the direction of your career?

I don’t think there was one defining moment when I decided I wanted to be a leader. Leadership, for me, has been more about responsibility than position.

As my career progressed and I was entrusted with greater responsibilities, I became increasingly conscious of the impact a leader can have on people: their confidence, development and willingness to give their best. This hindsight has shaped the kind of leader I am today. I am clear about expectations and performance, and equally conscious of the people responsible for delivering them.

What was your first reaction to your appointment as MD/CEO, and how did you prepare for the responsibility that followed?

There was an instant sense of humility and gratitude, followed immediately by a strong sense of responsibility.

Transcorp Hotels Plc is a premium Nigerian brand with a strong legacy, redefining standards of hospitality in Africa, so I understood the weight of what I had been entrusted with. My focus was on understanding the business deeply, listening to our people and building on the strong foundations already in place.

The question I knew my team and I had to answer and execute was: “How do we protect what makes this business special while positioning it for its next phase of growth?”

You often speak about taking care of people as a business strategy. How do you sustain that philosophy when difficult commercial decisions must be made?

People-first leadership is sometimes misunderstood as being soft. I don’t see it that way.

My philosophy is: if you take care of your people, they will take care of your business. People want to feel heard, valued, trusted and empowered to make a difference. They want to know that their contributions matter.

That does not mean difficult decisions are eradicated. It means that even when those decisions must be made, you communicate honestly, listen, and treat people with respect.

You can care about people and still demand excellence. In fact, I believe the two reinforce each other.

Transcorp Hotels has delivered strong financial results despite Nigeria’s challenging economy. Which decisions have contributed most to the company’s performance?

Our performance reflects several things working together: operational discipline, cost management, a strong focus on the guest experience, and, importantly, teamwork.

We entered 2026 following a record year, with 2025 revenue of ₦97.04 billion, up 38%, and profit after tax of ₦21.85 billion, representing 47% growth. In the first half of 2026, despite a more challenging operating environment, profit before tax grew 12% to ₦13.7 billion and profit after tax increased 21% to ₦10.5 billion.

Those numbers are important, but behind each of those numbers is a human decision: a guest deciding to book, return, recommend us, dine with us or host an event with us.

So, we remain focused on delivering experiences that create value for our guests while maintaining the operational discipline required to create value for our shareholders.

Your smile has become a recognisable part of your public identity. What difficult seasons, sacrifices or personal experiences have shaped the strength behind it?

My smile has certainly become a recognisable part of who I am, but for me, it represents a lot more. It represents optimism, resilience and the strong belief that even in the most difficult moments, there is always a way forward. Life has taught me this.

I have learnt that as a leader, the energy you bring into a room matters. My smile helps me remain approachable and gives people the confidence to engage with me, even when the conversations are difficult. While it comes naturally to me, I am also intentional about it, consistent with the warmth, home-feel and aura that our hotel exudes. 

Smiling does not mean that I take challenges lightly. If anything, it reflects my determination not to allow difficult circumstances to define the way I lead. I believe people need to see that their leader has the courage to confront challenges, while still having the confidence to believe that better days are ahead. 

Sometimes it is my way of saying to myself and the people around me, “Relax, it’s not the end of the world.” That doesn’t mean difficult moments don’t affect me. They do. Leadership comes with pressure, difficult decisions, and demanding expectations. The smile is not an absence of those realities but a choice about how I respond to them.

Some people might see smiling, warmth and empathy as “soft” leadership qualities. Do you believe they can influence business performance?

Absolutely. Warmth should never be confused with weakness. In hospitality, how people feel has commercial consequences. A guest who feels genuinely welcomed is more likely to return, speak about the experience, and build a relationship with the brand.

The same principle applies internally. People who feel valued contribute more and are more likely to take ownership of the experience they create for customers.

So, I do not see people and performance as separate conversations. Taking care of people is not simply good leadership; in hospitality, it is good business.

Hospitality is built around how people feel. How do you ensure that every guest experiences the warmth, excellence and attention that Transcorp Hotels promises?

The real question is: when a guest walks out of our hotel, what do they remember? How did we make them feel? What makes them want to come back again and again?

Beautiful rooms matter. Great restaurants matter. Efficient systems matter. Exceptional service cannot be achieved through processes and systems alone; it comes from people who feel seen, valued and empowered.  I describe hospitality as an emotion.

I therefore try to create an environment where our people understand that they are not simply completing tasks – they are creating experiences. I encourage them to take ownership, make decisions, listen to our guests and, where necessary, go beyond the expected to solve a problem or, most importantly, create a memorable moment.

I also believe that empowerment must be supported by clarity and accountability. Our people need to know what we stand for, what excellence looks like and that their leaders will support them when they take the right initiative.

Ultimately, our guests experience our culture through our people. The confidence that comes from the feeling of being respected, heard and trusted translates into warmer interactions, greater attention to detail, and a genuine desire to exceed every expectation. That is how we build a culture that is not merely delivered – it is felt.

How do you balance the demands of leading a major company with family life, and what has that journey taught you about sacrifice and support?

Balance is something I continue to work at rather than something I would claim to have perfected. Leadership at this level is demanding, and there are periods when the business requires a great deal of your time and attention. 

Two things have helped me a lot. The first is a great support system at home that has carried me through many long days. The second is a capable team. Leadership has taught me that delegating is not a weakness; it is how you build an institution that runs well whether you are in the room or outside.

There have been sacrifices, missed occasions, and calls taken at odd hours.  My family has been part of this journey, so the milestones reached are theirs as much as mine.

Where do you hope to take Transcorp Hotels during your tenure, and what will define its next phase of growth?

The ambition is to continue building a hospitality company that demonstrates that world-class experiences can be created here in Africa.

Our next phase will be about growth, innovation, and continually raising the standard of the experiences we provide, while remaining disciplined about profitability and shareholder value.

But scale alone will not define success. We must grow without losing the warmth and human connection that make hospitality meaningful.

Are there plans to expand into new cities or introduce new hospitality experiences, and which opportunities excite you most?

Absolutely. We are entering an exciting phase of growth for Transcorp Hotels, and that growth is taking different forms.

In 2025, we expanded our events offering with the launch of The Transcorp Centre within the palatial premises of Transcorp Hilton Abuja. The Centre has hosted major gatherings, including the Afreximbank Annual Meetings and other high-profile corporate and institutional events. The opportunity now is to build on that momentum and establish it as the destination for the biggest business, entertainment, cultural and lifestyle events coming to Nigeria and the FCT Abuja.

We are strengthening Aura by Transcorp Hotels, our digital hospitality platform, with a refreshed focus on creating and connecting people to memorable hospitality and lifestyle experiences across Nigeria. We want Aura to go beyond accommodation and give people more ways to discover, experience and enjoy what Nigeria has to offer.

Then there is Transcorp Hotels Ikoyi, which is already in the works and represents an important part of our expansion into Lagos. We are very excited about what we are creating there and what it will add to the hospitality landscape.

So, there is a lot to look forward to. Whether through new destinations, major events, digital experiences or new ways to enjoy hospitality, our ambition is to continue expanding the Transcorp Hotels experience while staying true to what defines us: creating memorable experiences and making people want to come back. I would simply ask you to just watch this space.

What must Nigeria do differently to compete with the world’s leading tourism and hospitality destinations?

Nigeria already has many of the ingredients, from our culture, food, music, creativity, natural attractions and, importantly, our people. What we need is an ecosystem that makes those assets easier to experience. That means infrastructure, connectivity, security, destination marketing, supportive policies, and sustained investment in hospitality and tourism.

Tourism is not simply about leisure. A thriving hospitality industry supports jobs, SMEs, transportation, entertainment, food, culture and investment. When we get the ecosystem right, the economic impact extends far beyond hotels.

What legacy do you hope to build at Transcorp Hotels, and how would you like employees, guests and the wider industry to remember your leadership?

I would like the legacy to be one of growth, excellence and people. I want our employees to feel that they were allowed to grow and that their contributions mattered. I want guests to remember how great we made them feel. And I want the business to be stronger, more valuable and better positioned for the future.

If we can achieve these things while demonstrating that an African hospitality company can compete at the highest level, that would be a legacy worth building.

If your smile represents resilience personally, what does resilience look like for Transcorp Hotels as a business?

Resilience in business is the ability to continue delivering despite changing circumstances.

The operating environment will not always be easy. Costs change, consumer behaviour evolves, and unexpected challenges emerge. What matters is the ability to adapt without compromising your standards or losing sight of your long-term ambition.

At Transcorp Hotels Plc, we are not waiting for the perfect conditions to succeed; we are creating the conditions for our success.

For me, resilience is not simply surviving difficult periods. It is remaining optimistic enough to see the opportunity within them, disciplined enough to execute and courageous enough to keep moving forward.

Perhaps that is what the smile represents too.