The “New African Tourism Super-Economy” has gone into full effect as regional leaders, diplomats, and economic moguls gather at La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Lagos to participate in the IPADA Initiative & Carnival.

The Chairman of the Sixth Region and President of the African Diaspora Central Bank, H.R.M. Rex Semako I & VI Timothy Mc Pherson, signed a landmark multiregional Memorandum of Understanding with Rwanda and Vanuatu for investments in diverse projects and across multiple sectors.

The MoU was signed by H.E. Ambassador Christophe Bazivamo, High Commissioner of Rwanda to Nigeria, and H.E. Ambassador Prof. Dr. Hugh Aryee, Vanuatu Trade Commissioner to Ghana.

Investment highlights range from ecological tourism and gorilla conservation to the establishment of an institute for advanced research and development in geothermal energy distribution and storage using the volcanoes in Rwanda and Vanuatu.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on the sidelines of the IPADA Carnival which had its opening ceremony on Friday.

During the press release, Commissioner Aryee said, “As the Vanuatu Trade Commissioner to Ghana, I am thrilled to witness my beloved nation, Vanuatu, directly benefiting from this historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This groundbreaking initiative positions Vanuatu as the first country in Melanesia to harness and explore geothermal energy from its volcanic resources.

Furthermore, it paves the way for Vanuatu to become a net exporter of energy to neighbouring countries, solidifying our leadership in renewable energy innovation. This milestone reflects Vanuatu's unwavering commitment to sustainability and regional collaboration, marking a transformative chapter in our nation's development."

Ambassador Bazivamo, High Commissioner of Rwanda to Nigeria, said “The MoU gives value to environmental conservation and the protection of our endangered species. It equally recognizes that both countries have not yet benefitted from the full potential of our volcanoes in terms of power generation. Having now agreed to move forward in this direction, it will be beneficial not only for Rwanda and East Africa but Africa in general.

Africa must ensure that it also benefits from tourism and the exploitation of its own natural resources. Under IPADA we will achieve this because it produces added value to our natural resources. This added value will be of great benefit to Rwanda, Vanuatu, and all of Africa. In Rwanda, as a matter of policy, we are already inviting all Africans to visit us and to feel at home with us. The IPADA platform is extremely valuable, and Rwanda will work to ensure its successful implementation across all of Africa.”

The IPADA Initiative is building a new African tourism super-economy that brings together all of Africa’s 55 states into a single tourism package and allows the more than 350 million people of African descent and “lovers of Africa” throughout the Sixth Region to invest, redevelop, reclaim and rediscover the motherland.

His Royal Majesty Semako said, “We are committed to transformative investments that engage each segment of the African tourism economy. In this case, the volcanoes in Vanuatu and Rwanda represent highly unique assets in the global tourism sector, while also providing proven opportunities for geothermal energy and related R&D activities in the same. As the people of the Sixth Region return to continental Africa to enjoy and experience the abundance of Our ancestral lands, the creation of energy security plays an essential role within our investment framework. This landmark pact between Rwanda, Vanuatu and the African Diaspora Central Bank reflects the type of dynamic win-win economic opportunities within the paradigm shift of our new African tourism super-economy.”

Using Lagos and Abuja as official ports of entry to all of the continent, the Chairman of ECOWAS and President of Nigeria, H.E. President Bola Tinubu, is IPADA Initiative’s Grand Patron, Chief Host and Global Ambassador.

The founder of the IPADA Initiative and IPADA Carnival, Dr. Wanle Akinboboye, said that “this agreement between Rwanda, Vanuatu, and ADCB represents the very spirit of the platform we have created between Africa and our Diaspora Sixth Region.”