January 13, (THEWILL) – Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, founder and president of La Campagne Tropicana, Forest and Beach Resort, has never disguised his passion for his country and tourism. It was this passion that propelled his return home from the United States of America over three decades ago, to give vent to his dream of turning around Nigerian tourism and making the country a choice tourist destination.
Since birthing La Campagne Tropicana Forest and Beach Resort in Ikegun Village, Ibeju Lekki axis of Lagos state, he has never dropped the ball, but kept giving his all to making the resort attain the height it has reached today, as the most sought after and multiple-award winning African-themed resort in global tourism.
Akinboboye is fascinated by the idea of building, developing and promoting tourism products, which he has successfully accomplished over the years by turning every latent tourism attractions in sight into tourism products, thereby creating destinations that not only stimulate the senses and sensibilities but offer opportunities for tourists to explore to their fill and gain immersive experience from the destinations and products created by him.
To fill a vacuum in the tourism industry in Nigeria, Otunba Akinboboye promised to unlatch 52 of his rich repertoire of tourism products, first among which is Diaspora Nigeria Economic Recovery Programme (DNERP), YATE; Kamp Afrika, CAER; Building Bridge; Yoru’ Bar; Beach Safaris; Scuba Diving; Hope Unity Rebirth Prosperity (HURP); Motherland Beckons’ Heed the Call; IPADA and IPADA Carnival.
The new enterprises, say sources in the know, is Akinboboye’s belief that “African destination is his horizon, using Nigeria and Lagos in particular as a base for reaching to the entire world.” Moreover, he is convinced that “Africa and Nigeria should target the Diaspora market with the aim of attracting over 50 million people yearly to the continent and Nigeria to have the immersive experience from the numerous tourism products.”
The man himself has said: “We believe that if Dubai with fewer than four million people and zero Diaspora population could achieve so much, then the whole continent of Africa should be able to record minimum of 50 million people, putting together all the tourism products available through the continent.”
Alluding to situations in the past where Africans looked to receiving handouts, he said that “we are not asking for handouts, we are asking them to come and take advantage of the vast opportunities in Africa. We are giving them open opportunities for them to have easy connection to the entire continent that will be championed by Nigeria. They will using Lagos state as a gateway to get people of African descent and lovers of Africa to connect with the continent.”
To make the programme a success, he is seeking a collaborative effort with the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Lola Ade-John and Hannatu Musawa because “they both need to seek out operators of like minds who are serious and determined to put Nigeria on the global tourism map to synergise and produce a roadmap that will drive Nigerian tourism and creative economy, with the private operators at the enterprise while the government through two ministers create the enabling environment for this agenda to be operationalised.”
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