Tinubu Backs Ipada Carnival 2024
Justina Uzo
President Bola Tinubu has endorsed the Ipada Carnival 2024.
The Founder and President of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, Lagos, Wanle Akinboboye, the initiator of Ipada Initiative revealed that President Bola Tinubu threw his weight behind the initiative, saying the implication was that the federal government was behind the cultural tourism programme.
The Ipada Initiative scheduled to hold between November 28 and December 8, 2024, at La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Ikegun Village, Ibeju-Lekki LGA, Lagos, is expected to attract over five million people.
The organisers said the cultural fiesta would also offer the tourists a platform to explore business opportunities in Africa through the “Business Unusual programme”, which entails a number of activities that will be unveiled during the 10- day event.
It was gathered that the President had urged the organisers of the event to engage all relevant ministries, agencies, states and local governments, to provide the necessary support to ensure the success of the event.
The President, through the Minister of Tourism, Ms Lola Ade-John, in an official letter he personally signed, wrote about his support which was geared towards promoting Nigeria and the entire Africa to Africans in the Diaspora and those interested in tracing their roots to Africa.
The said letter read in part, ‘‘I write to express my support for the Ipada Initiative and the Ipada Carnival, both of which are being promoted by Motherland Beckons in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Tourism. These initiatives represent a signified opportunity to grow tourism in Nigeria and across West Africa.
‘‘As I understand, the objective of the initiative is to promote the idea of a ‘‘return to Africa’’ among the people of African descent and enthusiasts of African culture living around the world. Lagos, Nigeria, is envisioned to be the gateway through which this initiative will expand the tourism industry.’’
The President further highlighted the benefits of the project in the promotion of Africa and offering a leeway for Africans in the Diaspora to connect with the African continent through Nigeria as well as explore their ancestral home in a unique offering that Ipada Initiative provides
‘‘One of the key features of the Initiative is to provide tourists, especially those from the Americas and the Caribbean, with an opportunity to explore their roots through a cultural pilgrimage. This journey, captured by the phrase ‘‘from Slave Ships to Cruise Ships,’’ allows participants to retrace the historical paths sailed by their ancestors during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, now transformed into a luxurious experience,’’ the President said.
In the same vein, he enjoined the Ministry of Tourism and Akinboboye and his team to engage with all relevant MDAs and state and local governments for necessary support. ‘‘I expect that you will engage with all relevant ministries, agencies and local governments to ensure they provide all necessary support. This includes facilitating the docking of large cruise ships, a staple of the lucrative international tourism industry, in Nigeria, thereby bringing thousands of tourists to our shores.’’
It is believed that since the unveiling of the project by Akinboboye, it must have enjoyed the support and endorsements from different corporate bodies, international organisations and individuals including the Minister of Tourism, the first to throw her weight behind it, states governments such as Lagos, Ondo and Ekiti.
“President Tinubu’s support and endorsement of the project, with a promise to rally the entire country behind the project, is historic as this would be the first time in the annals of the country that a President of the country will come out to support an individual operator’s initiative check aimed at promoting cultural tourism sector to the global audience,” Akinboboye noted.
