By Onyekachi Victoria Philip
East-West Africa Amalgamation through Tourism, Trade and Creative Arts, is bringing together NACCIMA, Motherland Beckons, IPADA Initiatives and Accelerating Africa’s Growth Connect (AAGC) for the September programme in Ethiopia.
Each organisation comes from a different space, but their roles converge around one objective which is creating stronger connections across African markets and communities.
At the centre of the business component is NACCIMA- the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.
Through its chamber network, the association provides a link to businesses and private-sector interests, particularly from Nigeria.
Then there is Motherland Beckons, whose concept places African tourism, connection and shared identity at the heart of the initiative.
IPADA Initiatives brings another important dimension, with its focus on tourism, investment, cultural exchange and engagement with Africans and people of African descent around the world.
Accelerating Africa’s Growth Connect, or AAGC, adds a further growth and partnership dimension to the platform as this combination is important because the East-West conversation requires more than one sector.
- A business initiative needs businesses.
- Investment discussions need investors.
- Tourism needs tourism stakeholders.
- Cultural exchange needs creatives and communities.
- And cross-border cooperation requires institutions capable of connecting people beyond a single event.
That is why the September programme has been designed to include B2B matchmaking, B2G engagements, investment forums, institutional visits, cultural activities and tourism experiences.
The participating organisations are therefore not simply putting together an event programme. They are bringing different networks into one platform.
For a Nigerian entrepreneur, that could mean access to a new regional conversation.
For an East African business, it could provide an opportunity to meet West African counterparts.
For an investor, it could open discussions around new markets.
For a tourism operator or creative professional, it could create possibilities for cross-border collaboration.
The initiative will also engage with major institutions during its Addis Ababa programme, including the Ethiopian Investment Commission, Ethiopian government ministries, African Union and United Nations, according to the organisers’ itinerary.
The strength of the East-West Africa Amalgamation will depend not only on the organisations that convene it, but on what participants do with the relationships created.
And that may be the most important story behind the four organisations coming together:
Different platforms. Different strengths. One continental conversation.
The East–West Africa Amalgamation through Tourism, Trade and Creative Arts takes place from September 15–23, 2026, in Addis Ababa and Wolaita Soddo, Ethiopia.
For enquiries: +234 913 055 4013
Email: info@ipadacarnival.com