Ahead of the IPADA Celebrations 2025, the initiator of the all–year celebration, which made its grand entry last year, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, has introduced the first ever La Campagne Africa Beach Safari event, spanning seven African countries – Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Senegal, Gambia, and Cote d’ Ivoire.

Akinboboye, who is also the Founder and President of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort and the initiator of Motherland Beckons under whose auspices IPADA Celebrations is activated speaks glowingly on this new product as he outlines the details and benefits to Nigeria and the continent of Africa. It is also expected to consolidate on the gains of IPADA Celebrations and create a platform for people to further explore the offerings and beauties of the continent.

Designated routes

This is the first ever La Camapgne Africa Beach Safari with the Atlantic Ocean on one side, palm trees on the other side and sandwiched in between both of them, is the crystal clean white sand. It is the first ever trans-state and continental beach safari to take people from one state to the next and one country to the other.

The idea started first, with us doing interstate within Nigeria and we’re going afterwards to take it all the way to Badagry and then to Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire other countries on the routes.

So, for people that like to trace the slave trade route, they can start from Badagry, cruising on the beach to Ouidah in Benin Republic, and move from there to Togo and then Ghana where they will experience Elmina Castle, which has been there for three centuries now. And from there to Senegal where they will visit the Goree Island.

Transformation of the blue economy

I think you are likely to define it as a massive excitement that will pump your adrenaline. Massive fun guaranteed.

It’s something that we believe very strongly will change the ocean (Blue) economy of the entire riverine stretch and I’m sure we all know we have over 850 kilometres of beach front across nine states in Nigeria and a lot of the riverine people really have not experienced commerce.

So, we bring in tourism, commerce and we’re bringing in the middle class, to meet with these different fishermen and women, that will then catch fish, cook food for them to eat.

With the creation of the beach safari, we create an ocean (Blue) economy. We believe strongly that when you have thousands of people travelling with quad bikes, hiking, with horseback riding, some might decide to use a jet ski, while some boats, then you have those that might want to power glide, all the way from one state to the other.

For those that are on the quad bikes, there will be the need for rest. The need for more hotels to be established and that means massive hospitality industry that have absolutely no entry level, which can employ the riverine people.

Different hotels will be established. These different hotels will create jobs for bricklayers, carpenters, engineers, architects, waitresses, different types of people in the value chain of the hospitality industry.

Promotes rural development and economy

We believe very strongly that this will also keep them in their environment. There won’t be the need for them to go to urban areas in search of jobs. The cities would be decongested. The rural area people when engaged fully, won’t be much attracted to the city, because they don’t have to worry about transport costs, finding places to live as seen in places like Lagos, Calabar or Port Harcourt, because the hospitality value chain is going to travel through their villages and they are going to be part of the craft courses.

Some of them will continue with their fishing and farming because all that will be necessary to galvanise them to massive economic transformation through tourism, hospitality, creative art and so on, which will suddenly be available to them on their fingertips.

Focus on Diaspora

We created Motherland Beckons for Africans in the Diaspora and lovers of Africa to heed the call. Then we gave buzz to IPADA Celebrations. IPADA of course is the return of people of African descent to African hospitality.

Of course, no continent, no country has developed without the support of its Diaspora. United States of America was developed on the power and strength of the Diaspora that came into that environment.

That return is not supposed to be only a physical return, but also a psychological return because they really don’t have to be in the continent of Africa to add value to the continent of Africa.

Although, if you don’t have the African consciousness in you, you will end up not really thinking about how to connect virtually or in any form with the continent of Africa.

President Tinubu as the brand ambassador

We have the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the brand ambassador for this movement. So, this beach safari has the engagement of all the federal ministries and we have all of them working with us very effectively.

During the beach safari tour, apart from the creation of the rest areas, we have created security points and different camera points. What we refer to as solar cameras that monitor the entire route. We also have the Navy protecting the entire coastline. We have tremendous support from basically everyone in Nigeria and of course, if you remember that we hosted all the ambassadors of Africa in Abuja last year, so all African countries, are expected to be in this.

Commencement date

We’re kicking off with the movement on a weekly basis until it gets popular. We expect that a lot of people will come from the Diaspora, who will want to be here for one week or two weeks or three weeks to experience this big event. We feel that they should be able to enjoy the safari anytime they are here.

We have created this basically because of two initiatives. One is the IPADA Initiative. The need for people to travel back to the continent on a daily basis. To experience the different opportunities on the continent, to protect the different opportunities that can elevate them, and help the continent at the same time.

This is meant for the entire continent of Africa, it is not just for Nigeria, Nigeria just happens to be the gateway. The idea is when they arrive in Lagos or Abuja they can then fly or move to other parts of the African continent.