A leading hospitality expert and internationally reputed hotelier, with over 10 years of experience in Administration and Operations. She has immense hospitality knowledge and hands-on experience, covering every facet of the industry from hotel development, feasibility, destination analysis, hotel openings through to daily hotel operations.

Justina Ovat is currently Executive Director and Shareholder of Calabar Hospitality House, recognized as a leading, innovative, pragmatic and responsive solution-provider for the rapidly changing hospitality environment. Calabar Hospitality House (CHH) Limited is an indigenous private consultancy firm that delivers high quality training programmes, set-ups, recruitment, secondment, event management and tour packaging services to the tourism & hospitality industry, corporate organizations and individuals.

Justina is former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Cross River State on Hospitality and General Manager Tinapa lakeside Hotel responsible for ensuring guest satisfaction by deploring current and relevant operational tools through human and capital resource, ensuring return on investment and most importantly continuous development and welfare of staff.

Justina Ovat recently launched the JO Foundation which impacts and connect with a new generation of smart, ambitious African women and men to provide them with opportunities in three fundamental areas; Enterprise, Employability, Entrepreneurship.

She’s member/fellow of the following institutes and organizations:

1. Member, Institute of Hospitality, UK, Nigeria

2. Member, Institute for Tourism Professionals

3. Member, Hoteliers Association CRS

4. South-South Cordinator, Women in Hospitality Nigeria

5. Fellow, Association of Chefs of Nigeria

6. Fellow, Common Wealth Institute of Management

She is listed among the 50 young persons to watch in Cross River State and also among the young emerging political leaders in Cross River State.