History is set to be made at Jands Travel Business School (JTBS), Enugu, as the institution prepares to graduate 150 students in August 2025—marking a major milestone in its mission to professionalize the travel, tourism, aviation, and hospitality sectors in Nigeria.
The Director of JTBS, Mrs. Chioma Obi, disclosed this at a press briefing held on Monday. She revealed that the graduating students have successfully completed intensive short courses in a range of specialties, including Travel Business Foundation, Ticketing & Reservation, Tourism, Tour Packaging & Planning, Visa Application Masterclass, Hotel Operations, Customer Service, and Travel Agency Management.
“We train, certify, and recruit travel professionals that are fit for the travel, tourism, aviation, and hospitality industry,” Obi stated.
According to her, the school operates under the guidance of a formidable Board of Trustees, chaired by Chief Ben Etiaba, and is actively collaborating with tertiary institutions across the Southeast geopolitical zone, including the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. These partnerships are focused on industry training and skills development in the tourism sector.
Obi explained that JTBS was officially launched in 2023, but its origins trace back to a longstanding vision to bridge the professional knowledge gap in Nigeria’s fast-growing yet under-skilled travel and tourism sector.
“The vision and mission of the school are to become the powerhouse of travel, tourism, and hospitality industry knowledge and skills acquisition in Southeastern Nigeria and across the nation,” she said. “We are on a mission to produce travel professionals who will be bonded and powerful enough to give the sector the needed voice, and to grow the industry into a major economic force in Nigeria.”
She further outlined the school’s key objectives:
- To equip young Nigerians with hands-on skills in travel operations, tour packaging, hospitality business, and tourism marketing.
- To promote ethical and sustainable practices within Nigeria’s tourism industry.
- To foster entrepreneurship and job creation through tourism-based enterprise development.
- To create a platform for collaboration between public and private sectors through capacity-building programs, seminars, workshops, and conferences.
Mrs. Obi also noted that the student graduation will serve as a precursor to the upcoming Southeast Tourism Conference scheduled for September 5–6, 2025.
Several graduating students shared their enthusiasm and gratitude for the knowledge and practical training they received. Okafor Noble Chigozirim, Chinecherem Nwodo, and Juliet Mmesoma Ifeacho described their time at JTBS as transformative.
“We will put into practice the skills we learned in travel operations, tour packaging, ticketing and reservation, tourism, and digital tourism marketing, among others,” said Chinecherem Nwodo.
As JTBS prepares to send its next batch of professionally trained graduates into the field, the school reinforces its role as a cornerstone for capacity development in Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem.
