Lagos Business School (LBS), a leading business education institution in Africa, has welcomed Jameel Verjee, founder and CEO of CityBlue Hotels, to its advisory board for the LBS Hospitality Initiative. This strategic partnership unites forces to stimulate the growth of the hospitality sector in Nigeria and across the African continent.
Verjee joins a distinguished group of industry leaders on the advisory board, including Trevor Ward and Mossadeck Bally. The LBS Hospitality Initiative, under the leadership of Academic Director Dr. Belinda Nwosu, serves as a crucial platform for nurturing the hospitality industry’s development. It operates on four key pillars: Advisory, Engagement, Research, and Capacity Building.
CityBlue Hotels, renowned for its innovative hospitality approach and technology-driven strategies in sub-Saharan Africa, currently operates in five countries and has ambitious expansion plans. Through this collaboration with LBS Hospitality Initiative, CityBlue seeks to accelerate its entry into West Africa, complementing its upcoming launch in Accra, Ghana later this year.
This partnership will strengthen CityBlue’s focus on executive leadership development and importantly, expand its ESG and governance strategy across sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), Dr. Belinda Nwosu expressed enthusiasm about Verjee joining the advisory board, stating, “We are happy that Jameel accepted to join our advisory board as his skill set, demonstrable resilience, and range of experiences in Africa will benefit our goal to cocreate solutions for regional players and proactively build a pipeline of local talents for executive leadership in the hospitality industry.”
At the same event, Jameel shared his excitement about collaborating with Lagos Business School, stating, “We are excited to take the next step for our group, both in partnership with LBS Hospitality Initiative and to learn from Belinda and her team. Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and the most potential for knowledge-based, tech-driven growth. This is both an honor and an opportunity for us”.
The collaboration between LBS Hospitality Initiative and CityBlue Hotels is poised to transform executive development within Africa’s hospitality industry. This initiative aligns with Lagos Business School’s vision to cultivate responsible leaders who drive growth across the continent.
