By Justina Uzo
President Bola Tinubu is expected to host foreign envoys in Nigeria, representatives from UN Tourism, and Ministers of Tourism, along with Commissioners of Arts, Culture, and Tourism during IPADA celebrations which will be taking place at the Presidential Villa on July 30, 2025.
IPADA, a Yoruba term meaning “mass exodus” debuted last year and featured ten days of activities including a carnival, musical concerts, theatrical performances, a culinary and cultural feast as well as empowerment programmes for youth and women through free training and skill acquisition.
This year, the cultural festival will also feature 774 local government council chairmen, the business community and other dignitaries.
Expectedly, Tinubu will be able to brief attendees and extend invitations for the main IPADA Celebrations which are set to take place between November and December 2025 at the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Ikegun Village, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
The initiator of the project, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, who is also the Founder and President of La Campagne and Motherland Beckons,
will unveil a five-year programme of events that will span across Africa.
It is gathered that in
September 2024 Tinubu hosted African ambassadors at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa to discuss the project.
Represented by the former Minister of the now-defunct Tourism Ministry, Mrs. Lola Ade-John, the President introduced the initiative to the envoys, highlighting the opportunities it presents for various countries to develop their economies and attract investments and tourists.
The organisers of IPADA said with support from the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Tinubu holds the roles of Global Ambassador, Chief Host, and Grand Patron of the annual celebration.
This initiative aims to develop and promote tourism and economic growth not only in Nigeria but across Africa.
For them, the project is Afrocentric in nature and focuses on attracting the African Diaspora and lovers of Africa to visit the continent, reconnect with their roots, and contribute meaningfully to economic development and the growth of its human capital.
“To this end, Lagos and Abuja have been designated as gateways to Nigeria and other African countries, with various year-round programs planned leading up to the grand celebration at La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in November and December,” the organisers also stated in a statement.
Regarding the IPADA Celebrations, Akinboboye said, “The concept is all about bringing people of African descent back to their roots. We have about 200 million people in the Diaspora around the world: 27.265 million in the Caribbean, 48.3 million in the United States, 112.8 million in Brazil, and between seven and eight million in Europe. We need to entice them back to add value to the entire continent of Africa.
“No country can develop without its Diaspora. Therefore, IPADA is essentially presenting the entire continent of Africa in a basket. We are creating an African shopping mall to enable the Diaspora to visit all the countries on the continent.
“There are 54 African countries, so we are not only promoting Nigeria; we are inviting the Diaspora to enter the continent through Lagos and Abuja.
“For those who feel that they left on slave ships, we’ve created cruise ships that will allow them to land in Lekki. From Lekki, they can access the airport in Lagos and then fly to any part of Africa they wish to visit. In essence, we are putting the entire continent of Africa in one basket.”
2024 IPADA reportedly attracted over 50 kings and royals from Nigeria and across Africa, significantly boosting the economy as various business deals were closed by individuals and corporate entities.
Some benefits generated from the event was put at approximately N251 for hotel accommodations, transportation, entertainment, and logistics; performance fees of around N35 million earned by different creatives; and free AI training for 300 participants (approximately $450 per participant, amounting to N200 million invested in the digital empowerment of young Nigerians).
The project also involves the construction of six cruise ships funded by the African Diaspora Central Bank. These ships will transport tourists from the Caribbean to Africa via the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Lagos, with an estimated cost of N6,907,860,000,000 (N1.15 trillion per cruise ship).
Furthermore, the African Diaspora Central Bank plans to construct the Ubuntu Tower in the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
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