Nigeria, and by extention, the African cultural tourism scene are set to witness a historic shift as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prepares to lead 54 African presidents and Heads of State including a number of global leaders and major players in the cultural tourism ecosystem to the grand opening ceremony of IPADA Initiative/Carnival 2024.
The much-anticipated event, which since it was birthed has generated a lot of interest in Nigeria and beyond its shores, will be opened to the public on November 29, 2024 with the arrival of guests and participants from all over Africa and the world while the grand opening ceremony will hold on November 30 at La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort on Ikegun Village, Ibeju Lekki axis of Lagos, venue of the event.
The project, which was initiated by Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, Founder and President of La Campagne, under his Motherland Beckons’ activation, is designed to open up Nigeria and the African continent to the world, with a call to people of African descent living across the world, to return (Ipada – the mass movement of people) home to the motherland, which graciously beckons.
IPADA Initiative is already ongoing, with hundreds of visitors coming through Lagos and Abuja as the two designated gateways and overflowing to other Africa countries. It offers a life-time opportunity to African people from the Diaspora and lovers of Africa to experience the abundant offerings of Africa through tourism, cultural exchange and business opportunities.
IPADA Carnival 2024, a component of this laudable and landmark initiative by Akinboboye, who has devoted almost the last four decades of his life to the building and promotion of Africa continent (Continent Building Initiative) through various historic platforms, is a 10-day long event, spanning December 8, with a showcase of potpourri of entertaining contents from across the 55 Africa countries of the continent that are billed to display the best of Africa in what Akinboboye has termed; ‘‘one-stop African shopping mall.’’
He further disclosed, ‘‘IPADA is a golden call when Motherland Beckons. That’s because the echo often vibrates into the souls of those who receive the call and it stirs up their bones into a Return.
‘‘Motherland beckons on her children, to return to the roots, to the African root, to the continent with enormous resources, to the continent of arts and creativity, to the continent flourishing with yesterday, today and tomorrow’s African pride.
‘‘IPADA is the return of Africans, people of African descent and lovers of Africa back to Africa, to firstly identify with the continent, celebrate the return, and then interact with fellow brothers and sisters to benefit and contribute to developing the continent.’’
Akinboboye also stressed that IPADA is a rebirth for the continent, saying, “IPADA is the return to who we are. A mental and physical return. A return to our essence. A return to our culture and traditions, to our identity as Africans, a return to our cherished natural gifts, gifts we were bestowed and endowed with before we were colonised into other cultures and other traditions.
‘‘In other words, IPADA is a return to our first love! A return to what we cherished most. A return to what we do best. A return to our God-given talent. A return to ourselves.’’
Tinubu will be attending the opening ceremony to flag off the event in his capacity as the Chief Host, Global Ambassador and Grand Patron. The President had earlier met with all African envoys in Nigeria where he formally briefed them on the event and extended invitation to all the Presidents and Head of States, not only to attend the event but also to participate fully by showcasing the abundant wealth of their individual countries.
The President had noted that the event is an opportunity for Africa to be united and promote the continent as one destination to the world in order to reap from the shared economic prosperity and benefits that the event portends for the continent.
This is as well over 100 million tourists are projected to come through, while the economy of Nigeria and Africa, with particular reference to the rural communities, are expected to receive a boost through the various activities that have been outlined to run all year round.
Five million tourists are expected to come through yearly kicking off with over 5, 000 tourists visiting during the carnival holding in the coming days.
Part of the expected benefits have begun to trickle in with Vanuatu Trade Commission Ghana investing in the training and certification of over 5 million Africans on Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the course of the 10-day carnival celebration while AKI Lumi in partnership with the African Diaspora Central Bank (ADCB) is injecting $9 billion towards the construction of six dedicated luxury cruise ships for the project.
IPADA Initiative/Carnival 2024 enjoys the support of the federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, with the Minister, Hannatu Musawa, expected to be at the lead during the event.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwu-Olu, who is the host governor, will lead several state governors including the governors of Ondo, Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti states, who have all endorsed the event, to the ceremony.
Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), which is the umbrella body for private sector tourism operators, will lead the different stakeholders to the event, with its President, Nkwereuwem Onung, in the lead.
