Asaba Hospitality Academy Begins Operations As Asagba Azinge Admits Over 200 Students
THE Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty Prof. Epiphany Chigbogu Azinge, SAN, OON, has launched the Asaba Hospitality Academy with more than 200 pioneer students.
The maiden matriculation ceremony took place at Ogwa Ukwu Ahaba on 5 September 2026.
The initiative reflects the Asagba’s drive to equip young people with practical skills, entrepreneurial knowledge and opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
The Academy seeks to provide practical training across the hospitality and creative industries. It also aims to prepare students for employment, self-employment and opportunities beyond Nigeria.
Practical Skills for a Changing Economy
The institution offers training in several areas of the hospitality industry.
These include hospitality foundations, culinary arts, Asaba local cuisine, continental dishes, African delicacies, small chops and event management.
Students will also receive training in housekeeping, cosmetology, household management, tourism management, hygiene and safety, entertainment, tour guiding and fashion designing.
The Academy operates in partnership with industry operators to expose students to practical aspects of their chosen fields.
Asagba Charges Students on Discipline
Addressing the pioneer students, Asagba Azinge described the matriculation as a historic occasion.
He said it marked a new chapter for the students and another milestone in efforts to strengthen human capital development in Asaba.
According to him, the Academy aims to create opportunities for self-employment and sustainable livelihoods.
He therefore urged the students to take their training seriously.
The monarch emphasised discipline, dedication, humility, creativity and hard work as essential qualities for success.
He also reminded them that hospitality extends beyond cooking and serving guests.
The industry, he said, requires excellence, courtesy, creativity, professionalism, cleanliness, cultural awareness and genuine service.
Academy Targets Talent & Enterprise
Asagba Azinge expressed confidence that the skills acquired by the students would create opportunities in Asaba, across Nigeria and beyond.
He also thanked the parents, guardians, instructors, partners, traditional institutions and others who contributed to the establishment of the Academy.
The monarch described their support as an example of what communities can achieve through collective investment in human capital.
He further charged the management and instructors to maintain high standards in discipline, practical training, professionalism and character formation.
He urged them to position the Academy as a centre for discovering talent, developing skills and turning aspirations into viable careers.
Pioneer Students Begin New Journey
The Chairman of the Committee on Asaba Hospitality Academy, Prof. Patricia Mbah, described the matriculation as more than a formal admission ceremony.
Mbah, a Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Delta, Agbor, said the event marked the beginning of a new phase in skills development, hospitality education and community transformation.
She congratulated the pioneer students and urged them to recognise the responsibility that comes with belonging to the Academy’s first cohort.
The students, she said, should maximise the opportunity by learning, practising and developing themselves into competent professionals and responsible citizens.
The ceremony ended with the administration of the matriculation oath, formally admitting the pioneer students into the Asaba Hospitality Academy.
