By Onyeka Ezike
Tripberry, a Lagos-based online travel agency, has launched a talent hunt programme aimed at empowering and rewarding young creatives across Nigeria. The initiative is designed to provide emerging talents within the entertainment ecosystem with a platform to showcase their skills in music, dance, drama, photography and other forms of creative expression.
Speaking on Villa Square, a special segment of Cr8tive 9ja, a weekly tourism and cultural magazine programme hosted by veteran tourism journalist Frank Meke and Bunmi Bade-Adeniji on Mainland 98.3 FM, Lagos, Tripberry’s Digital Marketing Manager, Oyebanji Adeyinka, outlined the requirements for participation in the competition.
According to him, interested participants must possess a creative skill and register through the company’s social media platforms. “You have to be a skilled creative. Once you have identified your talent, you can visit any of our social media pages, especially Instagram, to view the registration requirements. After completing the registration process, participants are required to send ‘Trip-Contest’ to the designated phone number to officially enter the competition,” he said.
Adeyinka noted that the initiative was conceived to encourage young Nigerians to embrace creativity as a viable source of livelihood. “We are pushing this project because many young Nigerian creatives believe they do not receive adequate remuneration for their talents. The response so far has been encouraging, and we urge more young people to seize this opportunity to showcase their creativity to the world,” he said.
He disclosed that the winner of the competition would receive a flight ticket and an all-expenses-paid tourism trip to a destination within Nigeria.
Adeyinka further revealed that exceptional participants from the programme would be considered as Tripberry brand ambassadors and influencers. “This initiative will inspire and encourage them to excel in their chosen fields while creating opportunities for them to earn income,” he added.
Also speaking, Tripberry’s Director of Marketing, Kritika Kaurani, said the programme was inspired by her passion for influencing and promoting young talents. She explained that the initiative was designed to provide young creatives with a platform to showcase their abilities while also helping them build their personal brands.
“We created this project as a package that combines talent development with branding opportunities. It is targeted at young creatives who understand the value of exposure and are willing to leverage the opportunities provided by the platform,” she said.
Kaurani added that beyond the prizes, the programme offers participants the opportunity to reach a global audience and potentially become ambassadors for the Tripberry brand.
“The competition will encourage many young people to showcase their talents. While winners will receive domestic flight tickets and other rewards, the most important aspect of the initiative is the opportunity for participants to gain visibility and connect with a wider audience,” she said.
Tripberry’s Chief Executive Officer, Vinod Kaurani, said although competition within the travel market remains intense, the company views it as an opportunity for growth and innovation. He said the initiative aligns with the company’s vision of promoting both the entertainment and tourism industries.
“We are providing this platform because we believe that entertainment and tourism are among the world’s most significant industries. Through this project, we want Nigerians to understand that travel opportunities exist not only abroad but also within Nigeria. We hope to inspire young creatives to explore opportunities within the country,” he said.
Kaurani further explained that participants would use the Tripberry theme song as part of their creative entries, adding that winners would be announced weekly. “The idea is to integrate our brand identity into the competition. Judging will be based on participants’ creative use of the theme song. Weekly winners will be announced every Wednesday, leading up to the selection of the grand winner,” he said.
Tripberry is an online travel platform that offers services including flight bookings, hotel reservations and visa processing. The platform operates a subscription-based model that provides subscribers with access to discounted travel deals.
According to the company, subscribers pay a monthly fee of N2,500 to access exclusive discounts, while non-subscribers are charged regular market rates.
