To know Dr Iyadunni who has become a daughter to me is to love her passion for anything she sets her heart to do, not only her passion but her relentless resolve and commitment for excellence in all that she does, her focus is fearless and laser sharp the true spirit of a fearless lioness in the wilds of Africa a huntress going after her prey to ensure success in every hunt!

That is why Impatience with empty rhetoric animates her! Her book, Destination Africa: 30 Proven Strategies to Market Africa’s Finest Destinations, demonstrates that inert quality in her.

What an honor given to me not only to review her sheer brilliance in her masterpiece, but to continue to support the great work she is committed to doing to propel growth and development for the continent as a Panafricanist and to take her under my wings of which as a staunch Panafricanist I’m very extremely proud so to do.

Her passion is infectious and her simple yet profound solutions in her book clearly articulates a working sets of models for adoption by any government seeking ways to promote their countries natural demographics to target inward tourism revenues based on ‘ what do we have that the world would like to experience and immerse in our culture and geography! A simple but very effective statement as a starting point!

In my opinion, she has made life simple for any serious government to get the ball rolling. In my humble opinion the Nigerian Government should request for and engage her expertise as a driver of this professional offering, either as an appointment as the Substantial Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Economy or as a specialist consultant to the Presidency with direct responsibility to drive, oversee and derive the revenue for and from the creative economy, her fearless focus already demonstrated, would ensure success!

The book converts years of professional experience and doctoral research into a working implementable blueprint. Across 30 strategies, Dr Gbadebo elucidates destination campaigns for and from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and other parts of the world, dissects the thinking behind them, and asks the question that matters most: what can Nigeria and Africa learn, adapt and implement? “This is not a book that admires problems,” It diagnoses them, studies what has worked elsewhere and translates those lessons into practical possibilities for Africa.”

Its opening chapter examines authentic storytelling through the example of New Zealand’s long-running “100% Pure New Zealand” campaign. The campaign did not attempt to manufacture an identity unrelated things alien to the country. It identified a genuine strength—extraordinary landscapes and a deep relationship with nature—and amplified it consistently and promoted it as their unique culture in its geography and ecosystem, take it or leave it! and the world became fascinated and insatiated with that New Zealand culture.

Film became part of that destination ecosystem. The global success of The Lord of the Rings allowed New Zealand’s scenery to travel into millions of imaginations. Landscapes were no longer passive geography; they became characters in a story the world already loved. Visitors then wanted to stand where cinematic history had been created, afrika can do the same!

The wider campaign also celebrated local guides, artists, adventurers and Māori heritage, proving that successful destination marketing is not simply about showing land. It is about connecting land, people, memory and meaning. For Dr Gbadebo, the lesson is not that Africa should imitate New Zealand. It is that Africa must identify, package and confidently amplify what is authentically its own. In one of my discussions with her she pointed to Sungbo’s Eredo in Ogun State—an extraordinary system of ancient earthworks extending for roughly 160 kilometres, as an example of heritage whose scale and significance remain insufficiently known.

Oral traditions have long connected the site with Bilikisu Sungbo and, in some tellings, with the Queen of Sheba. Archaeology, history and legend do not always speak in one voice, but together they offer rich material for responsible interpretation, conservation and destination storytelling. A mosaic in just one of the 36 states of Nigeria, think of what the other 35 states all having diverse cultures has to offer, then think of 55 nation states of Afrika all with the individual provinces and counties with multiple diverse afrikan cultures and fascinating breathtaking geographies that will literally take your breath away, think of the immense magnetic tourism pull our afrika now offers to the world!

How can a civilization possess heritage of that scale and leave it largely invisible to the world?” We should research it rigorously, preserve it responsibly and tell its story magnificently. Heritage left uninterpreted is value left asleep.” Those were her words. I remember instinctively.

The challenge is not a lack of assets. Nigeria possesses ancient civilisations, sacred landscapes, royal traditions, music that has conquered the world, food with extraordinary regional depth, fashion, festivals, biodiversity and some of the most compelling contemporary creative talent anywhere. Yet assets do not market themselves. Lets use Nigeria as a case study that she has so well researched to propel the rest of afrika and to promote our own daughter as the leading authority on Destination afrika another first for Nigeria!

Nigeria has potential. Nigeria is one of the most beautiful and culturally abundant countries on the African continent, but potential is not a strategy. What is the plan that allows the world to see it, access it, trust it and spend on it?” That is the question Destination Africa set out to answer. That is why it should be in the hands of every student, young entrepreneur, government and builders of our culture tourism ecosystem and creative economy.

This highly analytical book and deep research speaks volumes literally, the presentation of 30 well researched case studies in its entirety are solid foundations and pillars of examples par excellence which draws on her wealth of experience to bring to life practical examples of how afrika and the Caribbean specifically Nigeria can catapult the uniqueness of our multicultural creativity and bring the world to afrika and the Caribbean (the sixth region of afrika) to become the world’s No 1 Destination!

I commend this book and work of my new daughter to the Government of Nigeria, to governments of Africa and the Caribbean to all tourism ministers and corporates in the creative industry to buy and adopt this book and its well researched case studies as their template, in their search for a slice in and participant of the multi trillion dollar creative economy of Tourism and culture.

Destination Afrika!

Amb Brig General High Chief Prof Wallace W Williams