CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu has approved ₦18 billion as investment in sustainable tourism transformation initiatives.
According to the Governor, the investment would guarantee the full scale infrastructural upgrade of facilities at the Obudu Mountain Resort, Kwa Falls, Marina Resort and in the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, including rehabilitation of Amber Tinapa Hotel, Studio Tinapa, construction of Pier Harbour, Launch of “Experience Calabar Tours”, Creation of a Heritage Market for Arts and Crafts, amongst other initiatives.
The approval was given during the 7th Executive Council (EXCO) meeting held on Thursday at the Governor’s Office Complex, Calabar.
The Council meeting, presided over by Governor Otu, also approved the request for strategic investment by the State Government in Azari Towers to guarantee the December 2025 completion date to boost the state’s tourism and hospitality transformation initiatives.
The Governor restated his administration’s determination to rebuild and restore all the tourism sites located across the state in line with global best practices.
He added that a Technical Committee headed by Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, with a few other prominent members, has been set up to revive the NorthFest Cultural Festival and bring it up to standard in the state’s tourism calendar.
He further asserted that the “Traces of Time” 2025 Christmas Festival will be the last to be funded by the state, noting that the current revitalisation efforts would continue to attract huge sponsorship deals that will bridge this funding gap, thus reducing the burden on the state.
Converseer reports that the Council stepped down 14 other memos earlier scheduled on the agenda for further detailed analysis in the next meeting.
