Mr. John Akumba Adzer, a former Director with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has won the award for the Abuja Top 50 Tourism Pioneers, a roll call of the top 50 men and women who were instrumental to sowing the seeds of travel and tourism in Abuja and doggedly fought to make it what it is today.
The Abuja Top 50 Tourism Pioneers award was set up to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves as pioneers in the travel and tourism industry in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory and through their efforts or that of their organizations have impacted positively on the travel and tourism sector in Nigeria, whose efforts have stimulated and helped to achieve the tourism goals of the FCT and forging interactions among stakeholders and customers across the country and beyond.
Mr John Akumba Adzer hails from Benue state of Nigeria. He did his primary and secondary schools all in Benue. Mr Adzer holds a diploma in tourism studies at Dorset Institute of Higher Education Bournemouth England 1977, BSc Hotel and Restaurant Management 1982 and MSc Hospitality and Tourism Management, May 1984 all in University of Wisconsin, Stout, USA.
Mr Adzer retired as a Director with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) in 2006. While serving in NTDC Mr Adzer spearheaded the establishment of Inspectorate Division of the corporation in 1992, The National Travel Bureau and coordinated the first participation of NTDC at WTM London in 1995. He also served as the Main Counterpart to the Consultants on National Tourism Development Master Plan in 2004 and 2005.
Mr Adzer as the head of marketing was responsible for the production of various promotional brochures including but not limited to “Welcome to Nigeria,” Beauty in Diversity and Tourist Attractions in Abuja and its environs. He also served as a Resource Person: online training programme for Federal Civil Servants (GL 08-17) organized by the office of the Head of Service of the federation and produced a module for Tourism officer’s cadre.
Mr Adzer’s attainment in Hospitality and Tourism has exposed him to various conferences, workshops and seminars worldwide, where he gained experience in Tourism Safety and Security, Medical Tourism, Travelism and Green Tourism, Agri-Tourism, Hotel Classification and Grading, Global code of Ethics for Tourism and many other disciplines.
Mr Adzer has acquired cumulative theoretical and practical experience at top and Management positions in Tourism, Hospitality and Travel Trade in his 40 years career in the Tourism position. He is a fellow of the Institute for Tourism Professionals and is in charge of capacity development at the Institute. He is also the current Vice President North Central of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN).
atqnews.com