By Onyekachi Victoria Philip
The Continent Building Initiative (CBI), founded by Otunba (Dr.) Wanle Akinboboye, is a private Pan-African initiative focused on promoting African development through areas including tourism, culture, entertainment, investment and related sectors.
According to information provided by the initiative, CBI was established as a platform aimed at encouraging collaboration among Africans on the continent and in the diaspora while promoting developmental opportunities across key sectors.
The initiative’s stated areas of interest include tourism promotion, diaspora engagement, investment, youth development and cultural advancement, which align with broader continental development conversations.
In 2020, the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC) Nigeria was reported to have partnered with the Continent Building Initiative on programmes connected to aspects of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 objectives.
Agenda 2063, adopted by African Union member states, is the continent’s long-term development framework aimed at achieving an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa driven by its citizens. The framework focuses on areas including economic growth, cultural identity, youth development, infrastructure, peace and continental integration.
While CBI engages with issues that reflect aspects of Africa’s development agenda, it remains an independent private initiative and is not an institution or agency of the African Union.
The founder of CBI, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, has consistently promoted tourism, culture and investment as important tools for advancing African development and strengthening cooperation across the continent.