Otu: Silently Rijigging C'River's Tourism Sector
By Isaac Aqua
Globally, tourism has evolved from a mere exploration of unique sights and sounds spectacles for pleasure by fun seekers to a money-spinning venture raking in quantum revenue for states within the tourism ecosystem.
Analytical appraisals pinpoint its overwhelming potential to attract foreign earnings through capital investments, capable of upscaling economic development and generating employment slots.
Aside from direct investment opportunities, capital earnings generated from the influx of tourists in Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, Mauritius, South Africa, Egypt, Gambia,Isreal etc, have become a stable source of revenue, assisting the government in executing statutory obligations seamlessly, for the benefit of the masses.
In Cross River, aside from agriculture, mining, and oil brimming with huge potentials awaiting optimum exploration to accelerate economic growth, the next sector with great prospects is tourism.
This is attributable to the rich but intricate cultures of the people, irresistible culinary reels, enticing hospitality dispositions, and above all, the breathtaking natural tourism endowments spanning from the creeks of Bakassi to the hills of Obanliku.
Driving by his quest to harness this enormous tourism prospects, erstwhile governor, Donald Duke launched a robust programme propelling the state from obscurity to a prominent preferred destination for business and leisure on the global stage.
The evolution of the Marina Resort, the amazing transformation of the Obudu ranch, the longest cable car in Africa, the birth of Carnival Calabar, the Obudu mountain race, canopy walkway, drill ranch, etc served as the alluring signposts that left fun seekers scrambling for flights to Cross River, which rightly earned the sobriquet; the ultimate destination for business and leisure, having evolved as the epicenter of tourism in the country and beyond.
As synonymous with most other sectors, when Prince Bassey Otu mounted the saddle on May 29,2023, the tourism landscape of the state was in shambles, virtually on the brink of precipice.
Poised to rejig the sector with the noble intention of regaining lost glory, the state government initiated a viable action plan, aimed at resuscitating the tourism spectrum, albeit without noise or fanfare.
In the words of the Special Adviser to the Governor on general duties, Ekpenyong Akiba Esq,;" We met a precarious situation on the ground which has gradually become a compelling factor to get things fixed to recalibrate the system at all fronts. To achieve this, the governor has been deliberate in his novel intention.
The first task was to get the right person with the capacity and antecedents to drive the vision of the administration to a logical conclusion, and the Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Mr. Ekpenyong Ojoi has proven to be a round peg in a round hole.
"Tourism is peculiar to us as a government given its enormous prospects in attracting direct investments, creating jobs opportunities to take our youths off the streets, while also showcasing our rich natural endowments"
"Such comparative advantage is in tandem with Prince Bassey Otu's vision of economic diversification which entails optimally harnessing our vast human and natural resources to create wealth, while also securing additional revenue options to fund the various people-oriented projects meant to address the prevailing infrastructural deficit we inherited".
The silent revolution in the tourism arena being orchestrated by Prince Bassey Otu has culminated in the revalidation of Carnival Calabar in full blast, the Leboku New Yam festival, the resuscitation of Marina Resort, spiced with the ultra-modern Kada Cinema and other breathtaking concepts including the avalanche of irresistible cuisines and alluring aesthetics at the historical beach.
Managing Director of Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Ekpenyong Ojoi posited" The novel intention of our governor revolves around revamping and upscaling tourism activities by introducing innovative concepts thereby expanding the state's tourism ecosystem"
"Given the long lull experienced in the sector which impacted negatively on the hospitality spectrum which is a key and integral component of tourism, the governor graciously approved a grant of a million naira each to selected hotels across the state to assist in upgrading their facilities and quality of service in compliance with global best practices "
"So far, forty hotels selected across the three senatorial districts of the state have benefitted from the scheme. We started from the south before proceeding to the central. The last disbursement featured beneficiaries from northern and southern parts of the state. We have also extended the lifeline to capture restaurants and local eateries popularly known in local parlance as "joints"
"The Marina Resort is now back on track with a constant power supply round the clock. Given the importance of transportation to our tourism agenda, we have attracted a marine transport outfit, Abbitto Ferry Services with daily routine shuttles between Calabar and Uyo. Plans are underway to expand daily flights to Calabar from major cities around the country for the seamless arrival of intending tourists.
"Efforts are equally on stream to reopen the famous Obudu Ranch Resort, while Kwa and Agbokim Water Falls are set to witness drastic innovations as top-notch tourism sites"
In terms of investments, the systematic renovations in the sector powered by the people's first administration have attracted multi-billion naira investment courtesy of Blake Resort Consortium presently final touches to the formal commissioning of a world-class entertainment center at Tortuga Island. It promises to be a one-stop excitement hub with outlets for beach parties, boat rides, swimming, and assorted continental dishes.
According to the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abubakar Ewa" Our state is a unique one with enthralling cultural affinities as reflected in various agro-based festivals. Subsequently, we are expanding our tourism frontiers to accommodate our various rich agro-based festivities like Bakor New Yam, Obudu New Yam, Ukelle, and others.
The innovation is meant to provide a platform for our people to showcase our unique cultural heritage to the world"
Summing up the matter, the special adviser on event management, Effiong Ekpenyong opined"Top on the tourism agenda of the present administration is to explore our rich cultural heritage to optimize wealth creations, add values to our people and communities. We are rebranding the tourism outlook to attract private-public participation needed to accelerate economic development, and the results are trickling in from all fronts"
Culled from Nigerian Chronicle edition of Wednesday, December 25,2024.
