As the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) prepares for its 50th Annual General Meeting (AGM), its First Deputy President, Chinyere Umeasiegbu, has called for support and consolidation from all members of the association.

Speaking with aviation journalists in Lagos earlier in the week, Umeasiegbu said members needed to support her re-election to consolidate the gains recorded in the last two years of the current administration.

Umeasiegbu, who is also the Managing Director of Global Links & Services Limited, expressed that beyond her desire to return and build on the accomplishments of the current administration, it would be an error for NANTA not to have a female in its core national executive and for the Eastern Zone to lack representation at the national level.

Umeasiegbu assured that if re-elected, she would continue to play her critical role of working with the leadership of the association and also add value to the system with her experience.

She further promised to open additional streams of income for NANTA’s members, including ensuring the successful implementation of the GoLite payment system.

She said, “We came in 2024, letting people know that I am passionate about this thing. With my investment background, I want to do something for NANTA that will open up extra streams of income for members. That is what I intend to do if re-elected.

“Going to the World Travel Market (WTM)is part of my vision. An initiative we started, which is called the International Travel Trade Conference. We started it with South Africa in 2023. The University of Johannesburg gave us certificates for attending and offered those of us who want to come and study tourism the opportunity. In 2025, we signed a deal with The Gambia’s tourism industry.

“Currently, there is a prominent transport company in Nigeria setting up business in The Gambia, and I am engaging them on a Banjul–Dakar route, as they plan to ferry passengers by road from Banjul.”

She expressed that her inclusion in the national executives would ensure gender equality, describing her exclusion and that of other female members as an anomaly, especially given her achievements in the last two years.

She added, “Also, for NANTA Eastern Zone not to have a core representation will be an error. So, apart from me wanting to come back to consolidate on the foundational things that started in our administration, for us not to have a female at the core national exco and for us not to have Eastern Zone at the core national, it will be an error.

“This should be about deliverables and about fair, equal representation. Let there be experience over experiment. Let there be inclusivity over exclusion. Let there be continuity over disruption.”