A new vista for African tourism, aviation, trade, commerce and business is on the horizon, with the newly inaugurated East-West Africa Amalgamation (EWAA), sets to quicken the pace of development, following the $10bn investment funds commitment from the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC).

Clarifying issues surrounding the new body and donations received by it for investment, the President and Founder of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort brand, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, who is also the convener of the newly created regional body, said the fund will strictly be devoted to funding attractive and bankable projects, stressing that it is neither grant nor free money to be doled out to people or businesses at will.

This historic milestone was recorded at the recent formal public presentation of the regional body in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The two days gathering was attended by different personalities and organisations from across tourism and other networks in the globe.

The new regional body is designed to unlock Africa’s tourism, aviation, trade, commerce, investment, and other potentials. This new drive, according to Akinboboye and other promoters and supporters, is to propel Africa’s economy development to a greater and sustainable height.

The regional body, which seeks the unification of East and West Africa, extending far into north and central as well as the Caribbean, is an initiative that is in furtherance of the objectives of Akinboboye’s Motherland Beckons and IPADA Initiatives, which currently promotes IPADA Celebrations, an annual cultural tourism and business gathering held in La Campagne Tropicana beach Resort. The multi-awards African-themed resort is based in the Lekki axis of Lagos State.

The birth of this new regional body is said to signal a new era of conversation as it concerns Africa’s development pursuit. This new ethos was clearly underscored by the conveners of the regional body and other speakers that graced the podium during the event that was both in-person and online gathering.

It was clearly demonstrated that the body is pushing the conversation away from mere promises and high-sounding words without action. It was noted that it is now time for action. Time for measurable and sustainable progress to be made on all fronts.

A philosophy that propelled the practical commitment towards bringing to life both the short and long-term objectives of the body in quick and real time. It was in the pursuit of this new spirit of thinking and fast-paced action plan that the National Black Chamber of Commerce and others made the bold and huge donations to kick-start the effective and practical co-locations of different tourism, agro-allied, commerce, and business projects across the continent.

This new move was further concretised by the President of NBCC, Charles Debow when he disclosed that beside the $10bn investment funds donated, investors and businesses will be attached to over 200 Chambers of Commerce networks spread across the United States of America and Canada.

Akinboboye also disclosed that it is; ‘‘no more talk,’’ but insisting that it is time for; ‘‘immediate action.’’ To this end, he called on businesses, organisations and individuals with creative, novel, attractive and bankable business ideas and projects to immediately begin pitching for the investment funds.

He also noted that there is no limit to the level or amount of funds to be disbursed in funding a particular project, however, he stressed that the basic principle driving funding is that the projects must be viable and attractive to investors and bankers, as every project pitched will be subjected to strict scrutiny to ensure that it meets with the vision of the body.

He urged businesses, organisations and individuals to take advantage of the new regional body’s commitment, which is to ensure that Africa witnessed fast-paced development through the co-locations of businesses spread across tourism, aviation, industries, agro-allied, ecotourism, transportation, security, commerce and trade, to charge the paradigm of development.