From Kogi state, commendation comes for motherland beckons tourism initiative

Kogi State government has commended Motherland Beckons tourism initiatives, which has seen the founder Otunba Wanle Akinboboye of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort spreads his tentacles across Africa and Europe.

It would be recalled that the initiative, over a year ago, made an inroad into Kogi State with the building of La Campagne Tropicana River and Mountain Resort in Koton Karfi, some distance away from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Interestingly, Kogi State is the first state in Nigeria to welcome the La Campagne franchise within its territory.

The resort, which is under construction and will be completed and commissioned soon, has been established in countries like Cote di’ Voire, Benin Republic, Ghana, Ethiopia and Turkey, where it has developed tour packages for the promotion of these destinations.

Receiving the Emir of Koton Karfi, Ohimege Igu, Alhaji Abdulrazak Gambo Isa Koto, alongside Akinboboye, Mr. Behzat and Dr, Lutfil Simsek, who is the co-founder Africa-Turkey Trade Centre (ATTC) in his office, the Deputy Governor of the state Simon Achuba expressed delight over the visit of Akinboboye and his team to the state, where they conducted a series of strategic tourism sessions to expose the people of the state to the benefits of rural tourism.

While thanking them for their effort, he specifically lauded the tourism initiatives of Akinboboye, which have seen him setting up tourism structures across Africa and Europe, describing him as “a hefty mahogany in the tourism forest of Africa, who made Nigeria a springboard for spreading tourism initiatives to the rest of Africa.

An admirer of Akinboboye, Achuba said, “I have been a keen admirer and follower of the progressive tourism strides of Akinboboye right from Ikeja to Ibeju Lekki and I’m impressed by his ability to turn jungle to an oasis of pleasure and swamp to luxurious sites of veneration.

“The story of how he, through the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, raised the status of Ikegun Village to an international destination is evergreen. I have also kept a tab on how the government of the Republic of Cote d’ Ivoire sent a delegation to Ondo State government for his release to help the country in its tourism drive is fresh in my memory.

“I’m also aware of his medical tourism initiative and the economic networking of his between Nigeria and Turkey while his various tourism initiatives in Ouidah (Benin Republic), Ethiopia, and Ghana are testimonials of a man who God has sent to change the fortunes of tourism in Africa via Nigeria.”

On the current development at Koton Karfi, Achuba lauded the Emir for his vision.

“Your Royal Majesty, I’m glad that Koton Karfe is taking the lead in community tourism development not only by reaching out to prospective investors, but by fishing out and bringing into Kogi one of the finest brains in the global tourism development and stimulator of rural tourism economy.”

In his remark, Akinboboye disclosed, “We are here not to tell a story of woe and misfortune. Prosperity, economic empowerment, accessibility to health facilities and generation of gainful opportunities are the subject of our story.

We are here to sow the seed of development, water the germination of tourism economy and mobilise the wealth of the state for the greater pleasure of the rural people. We are here to stoke the ember of tourism economy.”