Owen Omogiafo, proof that if you dare, you can rise 

Owen Omogiafo is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Hotels Plc where she is responsible for driving positive transformation in Transcorp Hilton Abuja and Transcorp Hotels Calabar.  Prior to joining Transcorp Hotels Plc, Omogiafo was the Executive Director, Corporate Services at Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp). Transcorp is Nigeria’s leading  conglomerate with investment in Power, Hospitality and Oil & Gas. A Harvard trained executive, Owen is a certified Change Manager (Prosci Institute, USA) and a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, UK. She holds a B.Sc. in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Benin and an M.Sc. in Human Resources from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

She is a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria and a member of the Board of Avon Healthcare, where she sits on the Board Finance, Investment & Risk Committee and Board Audit & Governance, in a Non-Executive capacity.

Growing up was very interesting. I was born and bred  in Benin City, at a time when the word “neighbour” really meant something. I grew up in an environment that had a mix of tribes, religions and income brackets. We interacted with everyone, treating one another with respect, consideration and there was a strong sense of family. We were raised on the principle of “A good name is better than riches” and that guides me till today in all my engagements.

From my initial roles as a Human Resources Director to my pivotal career moment of being appointed the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and subsequently, Deputy CEO (DCEO) of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, this has been my story. I was able to raise my hand and say that I can do it when each opportunity presented itself, and thereafter, justified the confidence of those who said go ahead by delivering on the job. When I was appointed MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels, a year ago, it was because I had proven myself in the previous roles I occupied.

The lesson I take from these transitions is the one that has gone a long way in guiding me through various decisions I’ve made. Be prepared and be ready to speak up on your preparedness.  I was raised to be daring and adventurous. As my dad would say when we were kids, “if you ask, you have a 50/50 chance of getting a yes/no, but if you do not ask, it is 100% no”.

As MD/CEO I see myself as the Chief Staff Motivator and Chief Client Relationship Manager.

This mindset defines how I work with others, to drive positive transformation in the company. One of my smart employees was beginning to let the ball drop at work, I refused to believe that she was just being lazy. So, I went ahead to have a conversation with her with the hope of getting to the root cause of the problem, turns out that she was dealing with years of fatigue from issues relating to housing. We solved the issue togther involving her stakeholders and the transformation was phenomenal. At the core, developing and executing the groups strategic objectives is paramount. Therefore, building and managing an effective management team to oversee and drive the company’s financial performance, investments and other business ventures is critical.

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We commenced the Transcorp Hilton Abuja upgrade in 2015 and concluded it in 2019. We transformed all 667 rooms in the hotels and the meeting rooms to meet world-class standards. The financial investment in the hotel was significant at over $100m. Keep in mind that it was during the timeline of the renovation that we had the devaluation of the Naira against the dollar, with the attendant cost implications for us a business.

Despite the challenges in the economy at the time, showcasing the strengths of the group we belong to, we were able to successfully complete the renovation and today, the Transcorp Hilton Abuja is one of the best Hiltons in the world both in infrastructure and service standards. Transcorp Hilton Abuja is a hallmark of pride for Nigeria and Nigerians, hosting world leaders such as Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, George Bush and Hilary Clinton, to mention a few. Following the successful completion of the renovation, amongst other criteria, the hotel was discharged from the Post-privatisation monitoring by the National Council on Privatisation recently.

This renovation, affirms my belief in Africapitalism, the philosophy of the Transcorp Group which states that the private sector has the power to transform the continent through long-term investment in key sectors of the economy. That we have come this far driven by this philosophy, gives me hope that our Nation can be transformed when we all contribute our quota to its development.

It is as important as breathing. I am fortunate to be part of a group that has gender equality ingrained in its values and actively pursues it. We just do not talk about gender equality, we live it and I am proud to say that more than half of our leadership are women.

Transcorp Hotels Plc focuses on creating social impact and environmental sustainability wherever we are. This shapes the various projects we work on at our hotels.

In Abuja, we have the Business Empowerment Program for Women (BEPW). This provides women with skills in sewing and training opportunities that ensure they are financially and economically included.  After the training period, these women are provided with resources such as sewing machines to kickstart their entrepreneurial journey. The women also repurpose old hotel linens into string bags which the hotel buys back from them for use in various areas, further contributing to their financial empowerment.

In Calabar, we have empowered the elderly and impacted on individuals in correctional facilities through various outreaches. In support of the environment, we recycle used soaps into renewed soap bars and empower women and children in rural communities with them as seed grants to start their soap trading businesses.

We partner with social enterprise establishments that recycle waste from the hotel into other useful materials and started the gradual phasing away of plastic at the hotels by switching plastic straws and stirrers with paper straws and wooden stirrers.

 Hospitality and tourism are global driving forces for any country’s economy, they contribute to the transformation of a country not only by the income it generates for the Nation but also by the number of employments it creates and more. Taking a look at Dubai, I see an economy that was transformed by hospitality and tourism, they shifted their focus away from oil which was already dwindling and focused on developing its tourism centres and hotels. Today, oil contributes to just 7% to its economy. This goes to say that tourism and hospitality can sustain a Nation and can transform Nigeria. We are hopeful that with the new visa on arrival policy for all African countries introduced by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, we will see great progress in making Nigeria a tourist destination for our African brothers and sisters.

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Domestic tourism is growing in Nigeria with an increase of local tour companies. According to research, it’s estimated that between 2018 – 2028, travel and tourism will contribute 4.3 per cent to the country’s GDP (N3.61 billion) year-on-year. This will definitely mean an increase in activities and products by responsible tourism and hospitality bodies.

To this end, we launched the Weekender package at our hotels, offering special rates and tour experiences to encourage the inflow of guests looking to tour the cities we operate in. The introduction of our country-themed nights at our restaurants has given many a reason to stay back even after conducting their businesses in Abuja.

In addition, we have ongoing tourism stakeholder engagements where we advance the cause of tourism development in Nigeria. In November, we partnered with the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) in hosting its 5th Nigeria Tourism Investors Forum and Exhibition which brought together various tourism stakeholders. In July, we also hosted the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Forum which brought together thousands of attendees  from 54 African countries.

We will continue to derive value from our existing assets, whilst operating them efficiently, and at the same time explore new lines of business. Overall, we will continue on the pathway of being the leading hospitality brand in Nigeria, with a view to planting our flag across the continent. As part of our initiatives of creating more value for our guests, we will be launching a world-class spa at the Transcorp Hilton in 2020 and increasing our conference capacity.

My travels across the world reinforces the belief that the 5-star rating of Transcorp Hotels is well deserved. It, however, also gives me the opportunity to realize improvement ideas for my hotels. I recently visited Tokyo and I was exposed to new and innovative ways to delight our guests. Another thing that I have learnt through travelling to various countries is that we have great room for growth in the hospitality sector in Nigeria, in a manner that generates greater interconnectivity within the tourism value chain.

If I could change something, it will be to have a ministry that is dedicated to Tourism. Nigeria is such a beautiful country, and we need to have policies that are focused on unlocking value for us, via the tourism route. We should take a cue from Dubai and our African counterpart Kenya, who have ministries dedicated to improving and expanding this key sector.

The first of January signifies new beginnings for a lot of people, hope, and the ability to believe that almost anything is possible; I can do better than I did last year. My take on resolutions is that we approach them with caution – set realistic goals and actions plans for achieving those goals. When you miss milestones, do not throw out the goal completely, rather take stock and keep on the journey. My 2020 goal is to be more present; make a conscious effort to have real conversations with people and not just text chats. I also want to practise a healthier lifestyle by being mindful of what I eat, improving on my spirituality, developing my mind and giving back to society.

One thing at a time. I guard my time jealously, to ensure that I am able to meet the demands on me by eliminating time wasters. I am blessed to have a very supportive husband and family structure and to enjoy a similar support structure at work. I do believe that trying to separate the concepts of work and family from each other creates a strain, Instead I attempt to merge both and derive my balance from doing so.

On this, I will say the need for mentorship cannot be overstated, especially for young people in their foundational years. Having a mentor at this stage helps guide your thinking, provides you with a “Devil’s advocate” who tells you the hard truth about situations/decisions and also provides you with resources such as access to their network. As a mentee, you also have a role to play in this relationship by being open, seeking feedback, actively prioritizing your personal development and following through on the commitments you have made to your mentor.

I can say that I have benefited from such relationships as they helped form the foundation of who I am today. I had several mentors at every stage in my life, right from my university days till now. I am fortunate to have one of Africa’s best products, Tony O. Elumelu, CON, the Chairman of Transcorp and Heirs Holdings, as a mentor. He is passionate about the development of Africa and lives it through his various long-term investments in key sectors of the economy. He has been very instrumental in creating a purpose I now hold so dear, “contributing my quota to the development of Africa” and through his principles of Leadership tagged the TOE Way, I am able to be a better version of me. I also believe in paying it forward, people had roles to play in my getting here, so I am also playing roles in mentoring others.

This is a tough question to answer as I have had several challenges, which, Glory be to God, I was able to surmount. I do not subscribe to crying over spilt milk. If something bad has happened, think about the most practical and pragmatic way of dealing with it and move on. It helps to have clearly defined goals, as when you have these, you see challenges as mere obstacles to your path of success.

Having lived a very rich and eventful life, despite my age, it is difficult to answer this question. I have had quite a number of life-changing moments, from being told at the tender age of 29 that my pap smear showed signs of Cervical Cancer, to losing a much-longed-for child and on the other side of the spectrum having such mind-blowing successes of having a rainbow baby at the age of 38 and being appointed CEO at that same age. Life is a mixed party and we celebrate each day, being grateful to have family and friends through who, God’s love upon us is clear.

I hope my story will inspire other women to just go for it, to never shrink themselves and to put out a hand for the next woman… or man, because at the end, we will be remembered by the number of lives we touch and the impact we were able to leave on this earth. Thank you.