By Onyekachi Victoria Philip
When the East-West Africa Amalgamation ends on September 23rd, 2026,the biggest takeaway will not be the photographs, performances or handshakes but the bigger goal will be to leave behind projects that continue long after delegates return home.
The nine-day programme in Addis Ababa and Wolaita Soddo, Ethiopia, is expected to conclude with a partnership strategy session, a summit communiqué and a roadmap for future collaboration between East and West Africa.
But perhaps the most significant part of that legacy lies in the projects scheduled to be unveiled during the event.
One of the headline projects is the proposed La Campagne Tropicana Hot Springs and Hills Resort in Ethiopia, a 150-acre agro-eco tourism and heritage development designed to combine tourism with investment opportunities, including holiday homes.
The project reflects a broader vision of using tourism not only as an attraction, but as a platform for economic activity, job creation and cross-border investment.
The programme will also spotlight Corporate African Eco Retreat (CAER), an initiative that reimagines corporate retreats by moving them from conventional conference rooms into nature-focused African environments that encourage team bonding and cultural experiences.
Young Africans are also part of the long-term vision.
Through the Youth African Tourism Expedition (YATE), people aged 18 to 40 will be introduced to adventure-based tourism experiences such as hiking, horse riding, jet skiing and mountain climbing.
For younger guests, Kamp Africa aims to preserve African heritage by introducing children and teenagers to traditional skills including basket weaving, talking drumming and African dance.
Together, the projects suggest that the East-West Africa Amalgamation is not being presented as a one-off summit, but as the beginning of a longer conversation around tourism, investment, youth engagement and cultural exchange.
There are further expectations that partnerships formed during business matchmaking sessions and government engagements will continue beyond Ethiopia through follow-up frameworks and strategic collaboration.
As the programme moves toward its closing sessions, the focus shifts from discussing Africa’s potential to asking a practical question:
What can be built together once East and West Africa stay connected?
That question may ultimately define the legacy of the East-West Africa Amalgamation, not simply as an event, but as an initiative seeking to turn continental conversations into lasting partnerships.
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