By Janefrances Chibuzor
Founder of the IPADA Initiative and IPADA Initiative Celebrations, Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye, has outlined an ambitious plan to transform Africa into a unified global tourism marketplace capable of attracting at least 100 million visitors within five years. He stated this during a WhatsApp interface with members of the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Travel Writers (ANJET), held as part of the association’s monthly meeting where he reviewed the achievements of last year’s celebration and the direction for this year’s edition.
Akinboboye said Africa remains regarded as the poorest continent despite its vast population, massive landmass and unmatched cultural and natural resources because it has failed to operate as a single tourism bloc. He explained that tourism thrives on strategic alliances, noting that individual African countries lack the capacity to independently achieve global tourism competitiveness. According to him, attractions alone cannot deliver economic prosperity unless they are organised into functional destinations supported by accommodation, recreation, entertainment and seamless visitor experiences.
He said the IPADA Initiative seeks to create a single tourism platform through which people of African descent, estimated at more than 200 million globally, can connect with the continent. Africa, he argued, has every tourism asset found in the world, including snow in Lesotho, reefs for scuba diving and more than 854 kilometres of beachfront in Nigeria alone. He added that the diaspora population, including over 120 million people of African descent in Brazil and the Caribbean and nearly 49 million in the United States, represents a massive primary market.
Akinboboye said Nigeria, with its large population, geographic size and economic influence, was selected as the gateway to Africa, with Lagos and Abuja designated as entry portals. He noted that the Lekki Deep Sea Port provides smooth access for millions of diaspora travellers seeking multi-country itineraries.
The IPADA platform, he noted, operates daily for the next five years, cataloguing all major cultural, historical and tourism events across Africa. This system enables users from anywhere in the world to plan travel years in advance and pay gradually over time. He said the five-year calendar also creates predictability for African festivals, adding that embassies, including those of the United States and Jamaica, have already been briefed at the Villa.
Reflecting on last year’s achievements, he said investors proposed building six cruise ships under the concept tagged “From Slave Ships to Cruise Ships and Luxurious Airliners,” symbolising Africa’s shift from historical trauma to modern prosperity. He said the initiative secured multiple MOUs, including with the government of Vanuatu and with Rwanda, while Blossom Retreats expanded its women empowerment programmes. He also highlighted the progress of the Lekki Axis Towers project and the launch of the Taraba Experience, which will host five agro-ecotourism heritage resorts.
For this year’s celebration, scheduled for 29 November to 7 December, Akinboboye said the objective is to expose Africa’s natural and cultural wealth and begin the process of converting hundreds of attractions into globally competitive destinations. He stressed that while the annual celebration is important, the daily operations of the platform are central to sustaining tourism traffic.
He explained the concept of Agro-Ecotourism Heritage Resorts as a fusion of agriculture, ecotourism, culture and wellness, designed to redefine farming for young Africans by making it profitable, social and market-driven. He noted that Taraba State alone has over 360 hills capable of supporting world-class ecotourism. He said young farmers will earn daily revenue from retreats, bonfires, clubs and nature experiences while waiting for their crops to mature. He added that the resorts will feature top musical icons, health tourism offerings and heritage storytelling.
On logistics, Akinboboye said his organisation has 41 years of experience, with an established network of BRT units, park-and-ride systems and boat transfers. He added that plans are underway for helicopter transfers from the airport to the resort.
On the Caribbean project, he said the region remains critical because it forms the connection between the African diaspora and the continent. He said his organisation has built an African-themed resort in the Caribbean to give the people first-hand experience of African culture. According to him, when people who cannot immediately travel to Africa encounter authentic African experiences abroad, they develop a stronger desire to visit the continent. He confirmed that the La Campagne Tropicana Agro Ecotourism Heritage Resort Brand will be replicated in the Caribbean next year.
Akinboboye said the overarching vision is to rebuild Africa’s global image, promote unity and drive prosperity by leveraging tourism as a unifying economic force.
