The Cross River State Government has approved the release of N18 billion for the rehabilitation and upgrade of major tourism assets, including the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Marina Resort, Obudu Mountain Resort, and Kwa Falls.
Thomas Ikpeme, Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Tourism Development, who made this disclosure in a statement on Thursday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, said the funding is part of the governor’s “Season of Sweetness” initiative, which seeks to revive the state’s tourism infrastructure, promote cultural heritage, and stimulate economic growth.
The fund would be used for the rehabilitation and upgrade of key tourism assets, including the Obudu Mountain Resort, Kwa Falls, Marina Resort, and the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, central to the administration’s wider goal of repositioning Cross River as a premier tourism destination in Nigeria and the West African region.
Ikpeme noted that the N18 billion allocation would also cover the remodeling of Amber Tinapa Hotel and Studio Tinapa, along with the construction of a new pier harbor to boost waterfront tourism.
He also disclosed that part of the funding, would be ploughed into developing the Axari Towers, a project aimed at expanding the state’s lodging capacity ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Calabar Carnival in December 2025. The government’s focus on Axari Towers, he explained, is intended to support the hosting of major events and meet rising demand for hotel accommodation.
There are plans by the state government to, as a wider tourism promotion drive, roll out the “Experience Calabar” campaign and establish a Heritage Market to showcase local crafts, arts, and cultural heritage. The initiative also includes efforts to strengthen transportation and business tourism infrastructure.
Government expects the transformation programme to create jobs, draw private-sector investment, and promote community-based tourism by enhancing accessibility, increasing accommodation options, and deepening local participation in the tourism value chain.
NAN