March 29, 2024

Nigeria Transport Hub

…the epicentre for all transport modes

TRIBUTE:
HON KUNMI FAKEYE BECOMES ADVISOR FOR A US CONSORTIUM, BGCG

5 min read

Hon. Kunmi Fakeye, MBA, FITPN, Senior Advisor, Blueprint Global Consulting Group, BGCG,

A veteran and technocrat in the management and promotion of travel, tourism and hospitality, Honourable Kunmi Fakeye, has bagged another international task requiring the actualization of the potential inherent in travel, tourism and hospitality in Africa but especially on the West Coast of Africa.

Hon Kunmi Fakeye, a very well-known personality in government circles in Nigeria, and a Fellow, the Institute of Tourism Professionals, FITP, has just joined a consortium of smart and vibrant professionals that constitute the partnership named, Blueprint Global Consulting Group, BGCG, in the Americas and West Africa.

He is expected to bring his wealth of experience spanning over four decades to bear on the entire value chain of travels, tourism and hospitality, in alignment with the guiding philosophy of projects and programs by the upwardly mobile consulting outfit, BGCG.

Honourable Fakeye, a graduate of Harvard Business School, Boston, Massasuchettes, was once a Senior Special Assistant to the former Oyo State Governor, Alhaji Isiaka Ajimobi (of blessed memory) from 2011-to 2012.

He obtained his MBA in Tourism Management from the University of Cumbria, Lancaster, UK Partnership with Robert Kennedy College, Zurich, Switzerland

His tasks at the Governor’s office were, events planning and protocol arrangement such as the management and organizing the governor’s daily scheduled activities. Coordination of the Governor’s convoy movement. Management and marketing of various tourism and cultural projects and programs of the state government.

While serving as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor from 2012 to 2015, he was saddled with a portfolio in the Culture and Tourism Ministry. Fakeye was instrumental to the development of a roadmap for the growth and development of indigenous cultural festivals in all the nooks and crannies of Oyo State.

Agodi Garden. The Theme Park Concession to a private firm. Standards and service quality are waning. Urgent attention needed to continue making the resort attractive to fun seekers

He maintained excellent oversight towards the development of a cultural festival calendar for the state. He laid the framework for the grading and classification of hospitality facilities and event centres in Oyo State. The highly intellectual survey involved enormous data collation which brought to the fore, the revenue potential from data-driven programs in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions, MICE.

He ensured the state’s participation in nearly all national events in the realm of arts, festivals and culture. In no distant time, Oyo state became a cynosure of all the other 35 states including the federal capital territory, Abuja, at all national cultural and carnival fora.

Under Kunmi Fakeye’s watch, he ensured the development of a user-friendly website for the culture and tourism ministry. The first Aseyisamodun Festivals was instituted in 2013 in Ibadan.

The annual Oyo state food festival carnival also became popular and attracted sponsors. An amusement park and museum, Agodi Garden, was renovated and once again attracted international tourists and visitors to the state.

It also served as employment generation for a good number of the youths. And also created an appreciable number of indirect employment for the populace.

Kunmi cut his teeth in the travel business in 1977 when he joined Nigeria Airways as a flight attendant. He later became a supervisor. The work schedule included managing, monitoring, and rescheduling flight for cabin crew. He later rose and got higher responsibility of managing flights within local and international routes, were added to his schedule of duty.

In 1992, Kunmi Fakeye was engaged in the USA by the American Express Travel Services as TRAVEL MANAGER, 1992 – 1996. His task included booking tickets, arranging travel for world bank executives, visa procurement and Protocol services.

From 1996 to 2008, he perched with PRESIDENT Travel Tron INTL. , Silver Spring, MD –USA. His schedule was to facilitate and manage travels. He managed a travel account with annual sales revenue of over USD3million.

He has not let go of private initiatives and partnerships on the local terrain. He has since 2019 to date been involved in startups such as PARTNER NF Branding Solutions, Gbagada, Lagos State. The boutique outfit specializes in Business branding and development, Sales and Marketing.

Another medium enterprise with interest is PRESIDENT Talon Travels & Tours Nigeria Ltd., from 2015 to Date. It has been providing niche services in the realm of General Management and marketing. Tourism planning. Private charter and Group travels.

Without an iota of doubt, Hon Kunmi Fakeye is a man of many parts whose track record reveals he has acquired mastery at multitasking. Presently, he’s been the Country Director of Tourism & Hospitality Development in Nigeria for Africa United Consulting, Lisbon, Portugal, since July 2019 to date.

His brief includes the Development and management of Tourism and Hospitality within Nigeria. To attract direct foreign investment to the Tourism and Hospitality industry in Nigeria.

Promote, Nigeria, as a preferred destination for tourists and for government and private initiatives prospecting in the trade to generate revenue and also provide youth employment. Another task is the promotion of culture, Festival, and Carnival that will attract foreigners and visitors to the country among others.

As a Senior Advisor for Blueprint Global Consulting Group, BGCG, in the Americas and West Africa, Hon Kunmi Fakeye’s office in Nigeria where he superintends over the affairs of BGCG in the ECOWAS is situated at, No 16D, Eko Court, Off Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Hon Kunmi Fakeye holds dual citizenship from Nigeria and the United States of America, USA. He has travelled severally across the five continents on the planet earth

He hails from Ibadan North East local government area, in Oyo State. He’s happily married and blessed with children.

Hon. Fakeye belongs to the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), National Association of Nigerian Travel Agency (NANTA)

He is a member of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), a Fellow, of the Institute for Tourism Professionals, and a Member, of the Institute of Tourism Professionals. He also holds membership of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) / among others.

Another side of the ace manager of travels and hospitality was the award he earned he earned in 2015 as Fashion Icon Facilitator, during the ECOWAS Fashion Week

Other landmark events were among others, a tour organized for a group of five hundred from Washington to Cancun, Mexico on a chartered flight with North American Airlines (March 2004).

Hon Fakeye facilitated the completion of the Gani Fawehinmi Diagnostic Centre, Ondo State. Also facilitated the construction of the BMG auto plant in Ondo state.

He also played a major role in the Lagos state government Car crushing plant. He was among the team leaders in the Lagos state Solar project.

Kunmi Fakeye was among the team for the Construction, maintenance and servicing of solar-powered street lights in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Paterson & Zochonis (PZ), and the ministry of rural & urban development, Lagos state government.

Another outstanding project in Travel and tours management was the facilitation of a total travel and tour package for the Oyo State House of Assembly members to visit the Mayor and state of Maryland, USA in 2010

Hon Fakeye also Facilitated the introduction of Arik Air flights to and from Ibadan to Abuja, to mention but a few.

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