Discovered: The Prince of the Empire

Ancient kingdom of Kano has always been a destination for trade and commerce. Kano with over 44 local governments, a demographic engine that defines its attraction for business growth and profitability, is also home to some of Nigeria’s lords of the minor, men and women who either by sheer hard work or luck, transformed their own destinies and that of others into great economic, social and political power players.

Indeed, it natural to expect that in this Nigeria’s noted old historical city and epicenter of sub-Saharan African trade that culture and hospitality of the people also mingle and stride to power travel, discoveries and tourism. It is not and was never an accident of history that Kano just like Jos, Plateau, Lagos, Port Harcourt (Garden city) Enugu (Coal city) and Kaduna (Crocodile city) were Nigeria’s notable leisure destinations in the good days of early 60s to late 90s.

The currency of cultural identification and promotion in Kano was driven by the very honest disposition of travel trade and hospitality managers, many who came to Kano from other climes and Nigerian cities, attracted by the boom and burst trading communities found all over in the merchant kingdom of Kano. Since trade and commerce was the game and the route ran through from Kano (Africa) to Bompai India (Asia), it was not a fluke that airplanes and sea crafts would readily come to Nigeria and an international air port and  dry port will become the face of contemporary movement of goods, services and persons across borders.

So, this migration exodus of merchants to Kano enhanced the need to package and advise Kano trade merchants and their foreign partners to embrace the significant contribution of travel experts to guide not only their movements but that of either inbound or outbound cargos.

This dream gave birth to travel businesses and the strategic creation of another tourism economic window, propelled by the huge inflow of merchants, historians of culture and tradition and a world of tourists looking for virgin and unspoiled destinations. It therefore, was not surprising that another kingdom, tourism and travel kingdom would become the face of trade in Kano but unknown to many, a prince was also born.

Ahmed Ojuolape, a Kano travel trade prince bestrides the very interesting history of Kano contemporary travel and tourism rebirth as a colossus. This reporter had met the prince of Empire Travel Kano in the 90’s on a visit to the city of sub- Saharan trade to cover the annual general meeting of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agents. We lost touch and contacts for over a decade, though occasionally running into each other in haste without time to evaluate travel issues.

Ahmed Ojuolape is the founding mentor of Kano travel trade entrepreneurs and ran Empire Travels which has become an institution and generational highpoint with his wife as new managing director. It is an achievement mile stone that has transformed Empire Travels into a legacy project and Ahmed Ojuolape as travel industry power house.

Ahmed Ojuolape is now a teacher, and tourism voice that influences young minds to embrace the growing tourism and travel industry as a professional business and gateway to burst and bury poverty and wastefulness of destiny. Apart from being an International Airport Transport Association (IATA) certified trainer and teacher, Ojuolape also contributed to market Kano as the home of tourism training in Nigeria, with National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHTOUR) campus in Baguda, Kano.

The Kano “Prince” today is not tired from pushing for the rebirth of Kano tourism which he believes is a task that must be done. He told me that he is however sad at some seeming negative narratives concerning some emerging travel trade and tourism operators and thumbed up the desire and single minded determination of Bankole Bernard, Nanta President to stamp out corruption and fraud in the system.

As we drove round the city, this guru recollects the dreams of the old Kano and reaffirms that better days may come again if honesty rules the affairs of men in the business and if Kano government and the Federal authorities could find a winning blue print to drive the sector. The prince of Kano Travel Empire also wondered aloud about the obvious neglect of Nigerian tourism experts and the love for foreign tourism advice and road map which has not helped grow Nigerian tourism sector.

Ojuolape advocated for a united tourism sector driven by aviation value chain which must be treated with all seriousness beyond the political end decisions that has made our airports the shame of the nation and international airlines existing in droves out of Nigeria. The “prince” told me that as “Kano man”, he would continue to stand against any moving vehicle that would not factor all the beneficial low hanging fruits in the tourism business to revive Kano economy and that of Nigeria. Talking to this guru is an endless adventure but yours truly has a flight to catch back to Lagos, so we agreed to keep our contact active. Soon, the Prince of the Empire will take us to his new tourism haven, a hospitality engagement that is proudly Nigerian.