ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Arik Air, Nigeria and West Africa’s largest carrier, has won the Balafon Award for best airlines in West Africa. The award category which was keenly contested among West African carriers, Arik Air, ASKY Air, Air Peace, Air Cote d’lvoire and AWA saw Arik emerge as winner in the category.
This is coming just as winners have also emerged in the Balafon Award for best airlines in Nigeria, Ghana and hotels in West Africa. Managing Director of ASKY Airlines, Henok Tefferra, emerged as the Aviation Personality of the Year in West Africa, defeating, the chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema to secure the award in that category.
Also, Muneer Alade Bankole, Managing Director of Medview Airlines, emerged as the Aviation Personality of the Year, Nigeria in that category defeating Allen Onyema of Air Peace. The Balafon Award committee made up of travel professionals and Journalists from Nigeria and Ghana approved the results for the best performers in Travel and Tourism West Africa.
The committee had earlier met and short-listed nominees for the different award categories. The short-listed nominees were then exposed to public votes on Atqnews website and Facebook page. The online voting was done using Survey monkey software. Atqnews Facebook page has 23,000 followers and the newsletter has a weekly global audience of over a hundred thousand people. After analysing the results the Award committee after a robust debate approved the results.
Winners will be presented with award certificates at Accra Weizo event in Ghana. From the analysis it is obvious that most of the voters are from Nigeria and Ghana with few voters from across Africa.
The Balafon Award winners by ranking are:
1. Best airlines in West Africa:
Arik Air, Asky and Air Peace
2. Top hotels in West Africa:
Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos, Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, Intercontinental Hotel Lagos, Labadi Beach Hotel Accra, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Accra, Kairaba Hotel Gambia, Radisson Blu, Hotel Lome, Wheatbakers Lagos, Lou Moon Ghana, Movenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra.
3. Top hotels in Ghana
Labadi Hotel, LaPalm Royal Beach Hotel, Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Golden Tulip Hotel Accra, Holiday Inn, African Regent, Kempinski Gold City, Tang Palace, Royal Senchi Resort Akosombo, Lou Moon,
4. Top 5 Hotels in Nigeria
Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos, Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Oriental Hotel and, Intercontinental Hotel Lagos
5. Top international airline in Ghana
Emirates , Ethiopian , Arik .
6. Tourism man of the year in Ghana Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu- Adjare, the minister of Tourism, Kwame Ofosu Bamfo of Swiss Spirit Alisa Hotel Accra and Tourism Ambassador Abeku Santana
7. Tourism man of the year West Africa
Prof. Ben Ayade, Executive Governor of Cross River State, Obinna Ekezie, chief executive officer (CEO) of Wakanow. Elizabeth Ofosu- Adjare minister of Tourism Ghana
8. Aviation man of the year award in Ghana
Charles Asare CEO of Ghana Airport Company Limited , Gloria Yirenkyi of South Africa Airways Accra and Eric Antwi of Starbow Airlines.
9. Aviation personality of the year, West Africa
Henok Tefferra and Allen Onyema
10. Top international airlines into Nigeria
Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates and BA
11. Aviation personality of the year, Nigeria
Muneer Alade Bankole managing director of Medview Airlines and Allen Onyema managing director of Air Peace
12. Tourism man of the year, Nigeria
Prof. Ben Ayade, Governor of Cross River State, Obinna Ekezie MD Wakanow, Nkereuwem Onung President Nigerian Tour Operators, NATOP.
