Transcorp Hilton Wins Prestigious 2022 World Travel Award 

The Abuja Transcorp Hilton Hotel has for the 8th year in a row, emerged as winner of the prestigious World Travel Awards in four categories, with prizes for Nigeria’s Leading Hotel and Nigeria’s Leading Hotel Suite and for the first time, Nigeria’s Leading City Hotel.

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries.

The 5-star hotel was announced the winner of prestigious industry awards at successive gala ceremonies on 2 continents in Africa and Nigeria’s Leading Business Hotel at the 2022 Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony which took place at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Kenya.

Commenting on the awards, General Manager, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Bulent Tarlan said, “It is a great honour to receive World Travel Awards and World Luxury Hotel and Restaurant Awards at the same time.

“Every day our over 1000 Team Members work hard to create exceptional experiences for our guests

“The awards are a fitting reward for the hard work and dedication of our Team Members.”

Transcorp Hilton Abuja was also honoured with the award for Nigeria’s Best MICE Hotel at the 2022 World MICE Awards Gala Ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton, Amman, Jordan.

In the same month, World Luxury Awards presented the hotel with the World Luxury Hotel Award for the 3rd time, and the World Luxury Restaurant Award for Zuma Grill for the 1st time, at the Gala Ceremony of the 2022 World Luxury Awards hosted at the magnificent Swandor Hotels & Resorts Topkapi Palace in Antalya, Turkey.

World Luxury Hotel Awards and World Luxury Restaurant Awards, were established in 2006 and 2015 respectively, as the pinnacle of achievement in the luxury hotel and restaurant industry offering international recognition as voted by guests, travelers, and industry players alike.

Transcorp Hilton Abuja emerged winner of both prestigious awards through a voting process open to the public as well as the travel industry.

According to Mrs. Dupe Olusola, Transcorp Hotels Plc Managing Director/CEO, “We are proud to be named Africa’s leading business hotel for the eighth consecutive year.

“We have continued to deliver exceptional service to our customers, reinventing ourselves and redefining hospitality in line with our mission.

“Having improved our leisure offering over the past two years, we are very happy to have added Nigeria’s Leading City Hotel and World Luxury Restaurant Award to our list of awards this year,” she added.

ADVAN Rechristens Marketing Awards, Adds Six New Categories

Mary Nnah

In a bid to cover the rest of Africa and position the Advertisers Association of Nigeria Awards as a continental award for marketing practitioners and organisations across the continent, the Advertisers Association of Nigeria has rechristened the ADVAN Awards for Marketing Excellence as ADVAN African Awards for Marketing Excellence

In August, ADVANhas announced the call for entry for the 11th edition of the ADVAN African Awards for Marketing Excellence, which opened Monday 29th August 2022.

 The awards themed: Marketing as a Tool for sustainable economic development, is scheduled to hold on November 20th, 2022, in Lagos and judges will include seasoned marketing professionals, faculty deans of faculties from various business institutions, and respected entrepreneurs.

 While speaking on the Awards, the Chairperson of the Awards Planning committee, Mrs. Bolanle Kehinde-Lawal, Marketing Director Unilever Plc said, “The ADVAN Awards, which is the most prestigious and respected awards in the Nigerian and African marketing community, provides the opportunity for organisations across Africa to gain competitive advantage, by having their marketing projects, initiatives, contributions as well as their products and services recognized.”

The Awards, according to Kehinde-Lawal, “Provide the ultimate platform for improving brand awareness, loyalty and customer retention by increasing the respective recipients’ prestige. The ADVAN Awards winners are acknowledged as industry leaders and named the elite in their industry. This year ADVAN will be hosting the 11th edition of the awards ceremony.”

The ADVAN Awards is not just given, it is earned. The selection of winners is made through an extensive evaluation process by renowned Marketing professionals, who assess entries based on stipulated guidelines and judging criteria, which can all be found on the awards website www.advanawardsng.com, she said.

This year is expected to see over 200 brands competing in the 16 categories of the ADVAN African Awards for Marketing Excellence.

Some of the new categories for the 11th edition of the awards include Excellence in Corporate Branding and Reputation Management, Excellence in Customer Experience, Outstanding Marketing /Communication Professional of the Year, Future Leader of Marketing -Junior Managers, Marketing Team of the Year and the Judges Choice Award

As part of Activities leading up to the Awards ADVAN will host an SME Growth Summit tagged ADVAN SME Business and Marketing Summit- The program is geared at supporting SMEs in developing best practice marketing and brand-building strategies for business and economic growth 

The sectoral group is the only trade association in Nigeria that represents the collective interests of ‘Advertisers’ (Multinational and Local organizations that engage the services of advertising and media agencies to promote their products and services).

ADVAN is a strong voice of 100 of the most prominent organisations in Nigeria representing over 300 brands that control 90% of annual marketing and advertising spend in Nigeria.

ADVAN is a member and on the Executive Council of the World Federation of Advertisers, a body of global brands and marketing associations in over 60 countries of the world.

Osezusi Bolodeoku: Breaking  the Culture of Silence for Children with Special Needs

In Nigerian society, parents who have children with special needs seldom talk about it, due to the cultural stigma associated with it, and also because such conditions are rarely diagnosed correctly when symptoms first start to show. As a result, these children rarely get the help they need on time.

A certified Special  Educational Needs expert and Advanced Certified Autism Specialist, Osezusi Bolodeoku, is actively breaking this culture of silence, by equipping children with special needs with the skills and resources they need to thrive.

The founder and CEO of FOS Creative Center in this interview with MARY NNAH talks about efforts to help to nurture creativity, social skills, emotional  intelligence, and other practical skills that all children need to succeed and thrive in the world

Tell us about your career as a Special Education Needs Expert and Autism Specialist. What does it entail? 

As a Special Education Needs Expert and Autism Specialist, I champion the right narrative for special educational needs. It means that I am an advocate. I am committed to working with these children and helping them to attain progress. 

As a special education expert, I will liken myself to a special needs doctor, who can work with children with different disabilities. However, as a specialist in autism, I use the principles of behavior to systematically improve the social behaviour of children on the spectrum.

What inspired you to establish FOS Creative Arts Studio for Children? 

My career journey has been quite an interesting one. During my NYSC, I served at an advertising company and after this, I worked in the customer service department at Reddington hospital. I worked there for a few months, before landing a bank job, where I worked as an electronic banker for a few years. 

I got married shortly after and I knew I didn’t want to be a banker for the rest of my life, as I had always had a passion for education. So, I got employed at a school called Standard-Bearers, where I first came in contact with children with learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders. That was how my journey started as an educator and now, as a special needs expert.

My twins also contributed to my journey of becoming an expert as a special educationist. They came early and my son was not reaching expected developmental milestones, so I started intervention with him. It was in the process that I discovered that our society is not so good at giving help to children with neurodivergent traits. That was how I went back to school to arrive at my current position.

As an expert in this field, what has your impact been so far, and how have you been able to create awareness about Special Education Needs?

I started  FOS Creative Arts Studio with my son when he wasn’t meeting up with his development milestones. I got a music teacher, a choreographer, and a chess master.

As time went on, we invited friends to come over and now, we have a creative studio. We do dance, music, chess, and gymnastics. Because children with neurodivergent traits are usually creative, these activities have been able to help us have an inclusive environment. 

It’s an inclusive environment where you find children with neurodiverse abilities doing different things; an environment where there is acceptance and empathy. I would say, the studio has helped in bridging that gap of exclusion and also helping to spread awareness through word-of-mouth. Parents tell their friends about the positive impact our facility is having on their children, and they too are convinced to come on board. During this process, there is a growth in awareness about Special Education Needs and the fact that through the right therapies, children with special education needs can thrive. 

FOS is very inclusive. Our neurotypical children are aware of children who are neurodivergent in our midst. There is a lot of empathy around us too.

Also, through media platforms like yours that are willing to have advocates and experts like me educate the public about special education needs, awareness is increasing continuously. 

A lot of parents in Nigeria shy away from the issue of Autism when their kids are living with this condition. So, how do you get such people to open up?

Knowledge is power, and I try to educate the parents of autistic children as much as I can. I try to demystify what autism is, and also give facts. 

It’s a lot of work because we’re in a society that holds cultural beliefs in higher consideration over scientific evidence. Firstly, I emphasize that autism is NOT a spiritual attack. For some reason, this seems to be a commonly held perception.

Furthermore, I express frankly, that there is no “magic” cure for autism, so I advise parents to beware of charlatans. There is indeed no treatment for autism. However, with the right intervention, a struggling autistic child can grow into a non-struggling autistic adult. The more parents know this, the more false beliefs are minimised. When we keep the right information going, we will experience change.

What is the way forward for children living with Autism, and their parents?

The way forward actually starts with the parents. My advice is: Always seek experts that can administer the right therapy for your children. Do your research. When speaking with people who claim to be Autism specialists, ask for their credentials and certifications. When you get the right help for your child, you will see measurable progress in their abilities. Remember, changes don’t happen overnight. It takes time, patience, and a lot of love and nurturing. 

What has the most memorable experience been for you on this career path? 

One major memorable experience in my career was finding my true calling, which was actually what led me into this career. I am still experiencing memorable moments. In general, I have experienced many memorable experiences on this career path. Seeing that intervention is working and children are making measurable progress, is a constant source of fulfillment for me. 

Recently, after a tough therapy session with a child who doubted his ability and was resisting intervention; with encouragement, he eventually did the presented task. While he was leaving the therapy room, he came back to say, “I love you Ladylight.” For me, this is very memorable. This made me feel that the child understands and cherishes the expression of love during the therapy session.

What are some challenges you have faced in your career, and how have you overcome them? 

I would say that one of the biggest challenges I have faced so far is that some parents do not quite understand what being on the autism spectrum means, and come to us with the expectations of a cure. They tell us to perform magic but there is no such thing as a cure for autism. Explaining this to a parent could be one difficult task. 

Another challenge is in the area of collaboration. Emphasis should be made on the collaboration of all stakeholders working with the child at home, school and centre, for the child to attain a generalisation of skills mastered in all environments. This means that if their child can master a skill at the centre, the same skill must be mastered at home, as well as in a school environment. Collaboration is key.

What was your family’s reaction when you told them you were leaving your successful banking career for the education sector? Did they support your decision?

Luckily, my family has always understood that I’m one of those people driven by purpose. Happiness matters to me, and it’s not just about a huge paycheck. To me, happiness is all about true fulfillment and carrying out the mission God has put one on this earth for. 

Yes, I worked as a banker, and I loved my salary. Although I am from a big family and the youngest of the family, my salary made me more financially independent of my family. This gave me joy. Kudos to the bank! However, I do not miss the banking sector for anything. It was not my calling, it was just a job. I am glad I found my calling as a Special Education Needs expert and practitioner.

Who are some role models you look up to in the field? 

I admire different people for a few reasons. I am drawn to academicians. People who have gone ahead of me in the search for knowledge. Knowledge is a quality I admire in people. And for public figures, one of the people I admire is the owner of Standard Bearers School, Mrs. Oni. I admire her heart and the passion she puts into the way she works with children. She taught me that every child is intelligent in their unique ways. I admire Mrs. Nwokolo, the only Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) in Nigeria. She is the owner of Shades of Life, an A.B.A centre. 

What advice would you give those who aspire to have a career like yours?

I would emphasise the true passion for the field, the right certifications, and the right mindset. When you are passionate and you empower yourself with the right education, then you are good to go.

What do you do in your spare time when you are not working?

I love to spend time with my family when I’m not working. As a mom, wife, and entrepreneur, finding a good balance between work and life can be quite challenging. So I consciously ensure that when I’m not busy with work, I am spending quality time with my family. Also, because I am constantly in search of knowledge, I am always studying and researching credible information that can help me learn more about my profession. I believe that every day should be a learning experience for us as human beings. 

What are some changes you would like to see in the sector in Special Education Needs Sector in Nigeria? 

Autism is a hidden disability except in cases of other comorbidities, meaning the presence of other conditions. This makes it hard for families with children on the spectrum to access the basic accommodations required. I would love to see the day when every typical Nigerian is aware of autism. I would love to see provisions and accommodations made for autistic individuals. I would love to see our government support families who have children with neurodevelopmental disorders. I would love to see more genuinely inclusive spaces – from schools to religious centres, to play areas. I would love to see more professionals in this space, for the work is a lot, and the labourers are few.