By Damilola Adeyera
Picture perfect.
When a wordsmith wants to describe a muse, they first undertake deep introspection to understand what the muse might entail, what it represents, or, simply put, the story behind the muse. That is what this writer will attempt to do in telling the evergreen story of La Campagne Tropicana Forest River & Beach Resort.
In the beginning, Olodumare breathed into a man. The great divine chose to send this man to the Akinboboye family. Hence, the name Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye. He understood that nature was not merely something to be admired from a distance but something to be experienced, protected, and woven into the very fabric of human existence.
For Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye, the forest was never just a wilderness waiting to be conquered. It was a world waiting to be understood.
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Every great creation begins as an idea. La Campagne Tropicana is one such creation. Deep within the forest of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, where the rustling leaves of the mangrove forest converse with the wind, where the Atlantic Ocean stretches endlessly into the horizon, and where the river quietly tells its own story, an extraordinary vision found a home.
A vision to create a destination where Africans and visitors from across the world could encounter Africa beyond the usual descriptions. Not Africa as an idea. Africa as an experience.
This is perhaps what makes the story of La Campagne Tropicana evergreen. It is not merely the story of buildings erected in a forest or hospitality services offered beside a beach. It is the story of an attempt to bring together elements that have always existed but are too often treated separately: nature, culture, hospitality, history, food, music, architecture, and the African way of life.
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From the early days of the vision to the sprawling destination that now welcomes families, corporate organisations, schools, tourists, creatives, entertainers, and travelers, La Campagne Tropicana has continued to grow without losing the central character of its identity.
Walk through La Campagne Tropicana, and the experience is difficult to place in a single sentence. One moment, the forest commands your attention. Another moment, the river draws you closer. Somewhere else, African music fills the air. A traditional meal arrives. A cultural performance begins. A donkey strolls past without announcing itself. Fishermen go about their daily routines. Staff move quietly behind the scenes, preparing the resort for another day. This is the magic of La Campagne Tropicana.
It is a resort, but it is also a statement.
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Nigeria’s tourism story, for the longest time, has been a story of untapped riches. For a nation blessed with beaches, hills, waterfalls, and forests, yet starved of the infrastructure to turn nature’s gift into national pride. Into this gap walked La Campagne Tropicana Forest, River & Beach Resort.
Long before “staycation” became a fashionable word, La Campagne Tropicana was already teaching Nigerians the art of resting with nature. It is a place where the forest is not decoration. The river is not merely scenery. The beach is not simply a coastline. Together, they form a living theater of nature.
At the centre of this theatre is a story of imagination, perseverance and an unusual understanding of Africa. For Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye, the forest was never just a wilderness waiting to be conquered. It was a world waiting to be understood. In an industry where government promises often outpace government delivery. La Campagne Tropicana stands as proof of what private vision can achieve where public sometimes falters.
This is the evergreen story.