Gbenga Onitilo, an aviation and travel industry executive with nearly two decades of experience, has emerged as the incoming Country Manager of Uganda Airlines in Nigeria, succeeding Patrick Ziwa.
His emergence was highlighted in a LinkedIn post by travel management company Wakanow following a courtesy visit by the Uganda Airlines team to its head office, where the outgoing and incoming country managers were received.
The meeting provided an opportunity for both organisations to discuss their relationship and explore ways of strengthening their collaboration.
Wakanow, in its post, welcomed the delegation and expressed appreciation for the visit, while looking forward to continued engagement with the East African Carrier
From Biochemistry to Aviation Leadership
Onitilo’s professional journey into aviation has been unconventional, beginning outside the industry despite his academic background in biochemistry.
According to his account of his career journey shared on LinkedIn, he started out as a secondary school teacher and university lecturer before moving into the hospitality and telecommunications sectors.
His hospitality experience included working as a Front Office Supervisor at Le Meridien Eko Hotel, Lagos, while his telecommunications career saw him serve as Assistant Area Sales Manager and Head of Dealership Sales and Logistics at Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications.
He eventually transitioned into aviation in 2007, joining Virgin Nigeria Airways as a Call Centre Agent before progressing into Sales Operations, Risk Management and Business Assurance, as well as Corporate Operations.
His experience at Virgin Nigeria laid the foundation for his transition into airline management and commercial aviation leadership.
In 2010, Onitilo took up a management position with Afriqiyah Airways and subsequently became Nigeria Country Manager for Air Namibia. He also served as General Manager at Skybridge Aviation and held commercial and business development responsibilities within the aviation industry.
Between 2018 and 2020, he worked with Air Namibia and subsequently Cabo Verde Airlines, where he served as Nigeria Country Sales Manager and Country Manager, respectively.
He joined Wakanow in September 2020, where he spent four years and three months, rising through several leadership positions.
During his tenure, he headed Airline Services and Destination Management, Corporate Sales and Holidays, before becoming Vice President of B2B Business in October 2023.
At Wakanow, he played significant roles in developing the company’s corporate, holidays, affiliates, sub-agents and consolidator businesses. He also contributed to strategic partnerships with tourism boards and embassies, as well as initiatives aimed at improving travel accessibility for Nigerian customers.
In a farewell message marking his departure from Wakanow, Onitilo highlighted the company’s growth during his tenure, particularly the expansion of its B2B operations and corporate business.
His subsequent professional engagements have included leadership responsibilities at Travelden, a subsidiary of Finchglow Holdings, and aviation industry consultancy and analysis.
An experienced aviation professional
Onitilo has also remained active in industry advocacy, capacity development and aviation business discussions.
At an Aviation Careers Conference, he shared his professional journey with young people interested in the aviation sector, emphasising continuous learning, personal development and the importance of acquiring practical industry experience.
His appointment comes against the backdrop of growing commercial and travel connections between Nigeria and East Africa, with Uganda Airlines continuing to serve as an important link between the two markets.
The airline’s relationship with travel management companies such as Wakanow is particularly relevant to its distribution, customer reach and access to the Nigerian travel market.
Onitilo’s experience across airline management, commercial operations, corporate sales, travel distribution and destination management is expected to provide valuable industry experience in his new assignment.
