She wanted to be a career woman who’s always at the top of her game. She realized that she had to be on her own by deciding to start something for herself. In the past, she was involved in a lot of value-adding activities, which included health services. Staying in one place isn’t her thing. With friends, she was packaging trips for others until a family friend wanted to start a travel agency. She took the opportunity and found much love for it.

Here is a woman who has been a leader in everything she does. Life is full experiences and the journey had not always been easy. What helped is that she was not doing something people forced her into. The love she had for the job sustained her in the business till now.

“In 2015, we had dollar issue and that was a trying time for some. I know some who had moved away from the business and started doing things such as catering services. But I didn’t become a traveling agent by mistake. People appreciate me for the work I do. Many even send appreciating messages together with pictures, telling me how happy they are for the services I rendered.

“At this time of coronavirus, I know I can survive this because we survived 2015 the year of turbulence. Now we know that this coronavirus thing can’t be compared to what happened in 2015. This can never happen in one’s lifetime twice, as some people may never survive it. I thank God we are still standing tall and surviving.”

Becoming the president of NANTA was amazing. She said went to search for the association because she thought it would be nice to be among the people making policies and ensuring that the policies are in line with what suits her own purpose.

“I believed I needed to be part of the group that was making the plans. I felt that if I wasn’t there any policies or rules and regulations, they make would be binding on me. At first, I didn’t know the association existed. I picked the form and became a member who never missed meetings. Later, when the leadership position of the Abuja zone became open, it fell in my hands.”

She just wanted to be part of what was going on but now it is clear that this not just a business but a body of travel experts who know what they are doing. ”

It was at one of the annual general meeting that the vice president position fell into my hands. At that time, it was just me and one other person. The other person turned the role down, and I picked it up, as a person who doesn’t believe in turning down roles.”

Taking a look at the travel industry, she said it is the most successful. For about a decade, it has risen to be one of the major sectors in Nigeria. Though governments, past or present, in the country had tried prioritizing agriculture, aviation is the one industry that needed no boosting through human efforts because naturally, it survives.

“This is what moves people from one place to another, it involves the international community, it involves international accreditation. It is of standard and will still flourish even as the pandemic wreaks havoc. This is a place where anyone who wants to come in must maintain a certain quality or standard.

Talking about effect of coronavirus, she continues: “We are already recovering, and when you look at the airports, we are seeing crowds as the airports are full despite the control of crowds so we don’t have a second lockdown.”

She says the industry practitioners are patient and hoping that the federal government increases the number of people who can come in for international and local flights.

Of course, there are any opportunities as Nigeria is very rich and endowed with many sights. There have been restrictions, but these can’t limit all type of travels. That is why she started a Tourism Challenge to allow Nigerians to begin travelling from one place in the country to another.

The challenge enables all NANTA members to create videos and tell viewers what is interesting where they hail from. For Nigerians, these interesting locations can satisfy the quest of Nigerians to travel. This, according to her, is working.

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The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) earlier this year inaugurated Mrs Susan Akporaiye as the 44th President of the association. She is also the Managing Director at Topaz Travel and Tours.