La Campagne Tropicana Rainforest and Beach Resort is set to create the first ever African Tourism Free Trade Zone devoted to promoting Africa to the world in Antigua and Barbuda.
This historic resort project is coming almost four decades after La Campagne, founded by Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, debuted on Nigerian scene at the Ikegun Village in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, where it has shown the resilience and power of audacious dream and vision by Akinboboye, who then was in his late 20s, to take the world by storm.
According to Akinboboye, the resort project will be located on a 100-hectare of land at Willoughby Bay Saint Philip, which is one of the most popular and economically viable bays of the island.
“The project is a step towards bringing Africa to the world, it is time for us to stretch our hands to our brothers in the Diaspora. To connect with the entire continent of Africa from those in Diaspora, from those in the Caribbean to Americans, to United States of America and of course, to Brazil.
“It would be the first ever African Tourism Free Trade Zone in the world where anyone can come and experience Africa as a stepping stone to connecting with the continent. From the West, South, East, North and Central Africa,” he said, adding that, “the entire continent of Africa will be represented.”
Speaking further on the project, Akinboboye explained that, “It is to give an opportunity to people of African descent and lovers of Africa throughout the world to come to a safe Africa where all the cultures can be showcased to the world. Where the world and all children of African descent that are born in the Diaspora can come, for example to learn about Yata, Camp Africa and get connected to Africa first before they then now move on to the continent.”
Given the picture painted by Akinboboye, this is a big project that will not come easy developing, however, he said he is ready and prepared for it having done this for about 40 years.
“We are going to do it in phases. The first phase of it will be almost immediate, within the next 90 days. We have been at this for almost 40 years and so we know how to tweak it.
“There are two things that we are presenting to the world; we are presenting African’s architecture, structure and culture to the world. The culture doesn’t have to wait, so we are going to start with the presentation of the culture as we build the structure.”
“The structure will come as we are building the culture, so we are going to start with African destination weddings in Antigua. We are going to take exceptional weddings to Antigua.
‘‘Then we are going to move to some make shift structures that will take care of day visitors (daycation) then we will start building accommodations, all of these will take off at the same time bearing in mind that it is a 100 hectare of land.”
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