With Ipada initiative, Africa set to attract investment, bring more diaspora home

With the continent struggling to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), stakeholders have expressed confidence that Ipada initiative is what Africa needs to shore up its economy. They said by hosting of regular events like Ipada, the continent is projected to attract 10 million tourists yearly to the continent.

This disclosure was made during the recent Presidential Briefing of African Ambassadors in Nigeria on the initiative by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which held at the Presidential Villa Banquet Hall, Abuja.

While the initiative is already attracting visitors to resorts, hotels and destinations across Nigeria and other Africa countries, Ipada Carnival 2024 is scheduled to hold between November 29 and December 8, 2024 at the Africa themed resort – L Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.

While assuring African envoys of Nigeria’s readiness to host the world, Tinubu said, “Ipada is designed to boost tourism in Nigeria and across Africa by encouraging people of African descent to visit the continent using Lagos and Abuja as the gateways.

“This all-year round initiative seeks to foster deep rooted connections that would lead to future investment and business opportunities among other things.”
Briefing the gathering on the project, the initiator of the project, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, who is also the Founder of Motherland Beckons, under whose auspices the project is domiciled, noted, “our focus is creating an African shopping mall. We are putting the entire African continent, in one huge basket and showcasing it to the world. We are making it easier for people to connect with the continent. We believe that when you combine all the tourism products in the continent of Africa, no country or continent, would be able to compete with us.

“We are on 30.2 million square kilometres of area, with 1.5 billion people in the continent. We have approximately additional 1.5 billion in the Diaspora, 30 million in the Caribbean. We have over 120 million in Brazil, over 318 million in the Americas, about 9.6 million in Europe. When we bring all these together, we believe that we can beat the French domination of tourists.

“If we are able to attract 50 million people to the continent, and they spend as little as $5000, especially now that their currency is stronger, it is extremely encouraging for them to travel because with their $1000 they will have like N1.5m. Nigeria has the largest concentration of Africans. With Nigeria having 774 local government areas, we believe very strongly that the country is poised to make it possible for people to connect through Abuja or Lagos. Our focus right now is about prosperity, prosperity in Nigeria, and the African continent.”

President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Nkwereuwem Onung, pledged support of the private sector for the initiative, disclosing that among others, the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) is committed to marketing and promoting all the packages of Ipada through its multiple channels.

For His Majesty, Rex Semako I & VI, Timothy McPherson, who is the Chairman of Eco 6th Region and Governor of the African Diaspora Central Bank, the onus is on Africans, especially those in Diaspora to contribute to the development of the continent through investments in member states.

According to him, “we, as diaspora, have to invest in the member states of the African regional economic community and contribute to the continent development. First, we begin with Nigeria, utilising Nigeria as the gateway or melting point for synergies to be created among the continent and in the Diaspora.”

For the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, H. E. Kalilou Traore, who echoed the thoughts of many of the African envoys at the event, “Ipada is certainly a big vision that Africa needs.

France have more than 100 million visitors yearly and the whole of Africa we can’t boast that.” On his part, Prince Richard Nwaobi, Chairman of Malaika Air, who is one of the partners of the project, with his airline providing logistics and offering 50 per cent discount on all routes.

“We are proud to be part of this initiative. It is about Pan-African because united we stand. I can tell you that our collective strength is bigger and better than anyone can image.”