Charles Ajunwa
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ajaokuta Steel Company, Prof. Nasser Naeem Abdulsalam, has said Africa has the capacity to develop home-grown solutions to the challenges confronting its tourism sector.
Abdulsalam stated this after a guided tour of La Campagne Tropicana Forest River and Beach Resort in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, where he was hosted by the founder of the resort, Otunba Chief Olawanle Akinboboye.
Speaking on his experience at the resort, Abdulsalam said the visit had reinforced his conviction that Africa possesses the resources, creativity and expertise required to address the challenges facing its tourism industry.
He commended the 42-year vision behind La Campagne Tropicana.
“African problem deserves African solutions, which means that we have to bring our hands together to solve our problems. Nobody should come from anywhere to solve our problems. So we should speak Africa, do Africa, and see Africa,” he said.
“When I was on the way here, I really did not know what to expect. What I have seen here is truly amazing. What has been done here is a complete life cycle. Nothing, and I mean nothing, has been left out for the complete ecosystem of human existence.
“From checking the various chalets, to the ongoing construction sites, to the forest within the resort — a great work is ongoing here. Here you have a complete ecosystem. There are things that are here which we don’t see in many places, things we don’t see in supposed cities that we live.”
Abdulsalam, who was impressed by the resort’s operations, staff welfare, and attention to detail, from luxury accommodation to animal care, noted that “The staff are happy, the domesticated animals in the environment are also not troublesome. They’re happy. Otunba Akinboboye has done quite a great work here and he needs nothing less than recommendation.”
On the VVIP Private Luxury Chalet, he added, “I’ve been at the VVIP Chalet and I can say I have been to the entire continent of the world and I’m not sure, and I’m not exaggerating, I’m not sure I’ve seen anything close to what I’ve seen here in terms of originality, in terms of culture, in terms of modernization. And this is so fantastic.”
“The greatest opportunity in the world is the human race and human capacity. To us, the greatest opportunity is that we have young people. We have a population that can turn things around. We have a population that has got the energy. We must use this energy to turn our continent around. So for me, La Campagne Tropicana is a great idea which we all should support,” he stated.
Abdulsalam also called on the federal government to take lessons from the resort and urged the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy to pay a visit. “I think it is important, like I said, for the entire national government to pay a visit, to take some lessons from here. Because for me, I’m already sold on this. And I can assure the whole country that Ajaokuta Steel Company will take some lessons from here.”