By Michael Jegede
Recently, the Cross River State Government under the dynamic and pragmatic leadership of Governor Bassey Edet Otu, officially reclaimed ownership and control of the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort which was taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in 2013.
The recovery of Tinapa, a business and leisure centre with Free Trade Zone (FTZ) status, built and commissioned by erstwhile Governor Donald Duke on April 2, 2007, to drive trade, tourism and investment, is believed to signal a new dawn for Cross River State’s economic rejuvenation.
Said to be the first Retail, Leisure, and Tourism-based Free Trade Zone in Nigeria licensed under the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) Act, Tinapa Resort, the $450m world-class facility located on a 265-hectare free trade zone in Adiabo, on the outskirts of Calabar, Cross River State, features an impressive shopping mall, the magnificent 243-room Lakeside Hotel, a business centre, a water park, an artificial tidal lake, Studio Tinapa/Nollywood Studio, a cinema, an entertainment strip with a casino, an elevated light railway, distribution centres with four wholesale emporiums, each 10,000 square metres in size, a cluster of four warehouses with a combined total lettable area of 17,000 square metres, duty-free retail spaces, parking lot for about 4,000 cars, etcetera.
Designed with the vision of transforming Cross River into a major recontinental hub for business, trade and leisure, Tinapa was confronted with financial challenges, and indebted to the tune of N18.5 billion six years after its establishment, which prompted AMCON to step in. The Cross River government, during the administration of former Governor Liyel Imoke, entered a debt buy-back agreement with AMCON. The bad bank absorbed Tinapa’s debt of N18.5 billion, taking over the management and expected to provide N26 billion for the revitalization of the resort.
In spite of the takeover, AMCON was said to have been unable to properly manage the project and Tinapa remained largely inactive and moribund. Several factors, such as conflicting mandate, operational limbo and ownership ambiguity, shift in priorities, regulatory bottlenecks, lack of specialised expertise, absence of political will, policy inconsistency, failure to attract major international investors as envisioned, and pre-existing challenges, were said to have combined to hinder the successful management of Tinapa by AMCON.
Due to the inability of AMCON to effectively manage Tinapa after the agreement it had with Cross River State government under Imoke, and the disinterest believed to have been shown by his successor, Professor Ben Ayade, some analysts had concluded that the project can never work again, describing it as a failed dream. Tinapa was said to be a wasted effort and dead project. The 2020 EndSARS protest, which reportedly caused over N100 billion in damages to the state government-owned assets including the Tinapa Resort, was seen by many as the final nail in the coffin for the project, making its revival seem impossible.
However, the story of Tinapa appeared to have now changed under the People-First administration of Governor Otu, a visionary and transformational leader, who has evidently shown a great deal of enthusiasm, dynamism and vibrancy in governance, geared towards repositioning Cross River State for economic growth and prosperity. The narrative about Tinapa has suddenly changed for good under Otu’s watch. His determined efforts and push upon assumption of office on May 29, 2023, resulted in the recent recovery of Tinapa, one of the state’s most treasured assets that suffered total neglect and abandonment.
The governor popularly known as Sweet Prince has made Tinapa’s resuscitation a priority and seemed committed to restoring the facility and positioning it once again as a premier destination for business and tourism in the country, thereby changing its story from that of neglect to one of potential economic rebirth. The regain of the ownership of Tinapa Resort by the Cross River government under Sweet Prince from AMCON, is a major significant step towards its revitalization.
As part of the revival plan for the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Otu has vowed to ensure comprehensive infrastructural repairs and modern technological integration, regulatory reforms and rigorous oversight to prevent future neglect, and strategic partnerships with local and international stakeholders and investors to drive sustainable investments.
At the formal handover ceremony in Calabar, Otu described the recovery of Tinapa as a significant milestone for Cross River, noting that the facility would once again regain its position as a key economic catalyst and hub for trade, innovation, tourism, and creative enterprise in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. He said the return of Tinapa to the state was a battle fought and won for all Cross Riverians, marking the revival of a vision that once put Cross River on the global stage.
According to him, “The return of Tinapa is not merely an event; it is a rebirth, the triumph of faith, patience and resilience.
“We are breathing new life into Tinapa, not as a relic of abandoned ambition but as a living symbol of Cross River’s resilience.
“This moment is a collective victory, for our past leaders whose dreams gave it birth, for the government that fought to reclaim it, and for the future generations who will inherit its promise. Together, we shall turn this symbol of struggle into a testament of triumph.
“We are a people of faith and courage. Tinapa is once again ours, and under our watch, it shall flourish. Let the world know that Cross River has reclaimed her pride, and from this soil, we shall build the future we have always dreamed of.
“By its conception, Tinapa redefined how the world saw us, lifting Cross River from the shadows into the global spotlight.”
The governor has received wide commendation and applause from various stakeholders within and outside Cross River for the brave, bold, and audacious steps he took in pursuing the restoration of the lost glory of Tinapa. It is seen as a demonstration of his unwavering commitment to the revival of all dormant public assets across the state. Many viewed Otu’s action on Tinapa as a strategic move that has paved the way for an effective management of the abandoned asset, which holds great prospects for Cross River State, the South-South region and Nigeria in general, as a landmark integrated business, tourism, and leisure resort, said to be capable of generating more than N100 billion annually and creating over 12,000 jobs when fully operational.
The lawmaker representing Cross River Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Distinguished Senator Eteng Jonah Williams, at the event where the transfer of the ownership of Tinapa from AMCON to Cross River government was effected, stated that the success reflects the governor’s strategic governance approach, emphasising his ability to address complex challenges via collaboration, dialogue and negotiation, in lieu of confrontation.
Senator Willians was quoted as saying in a report published by MixiTV: “The return of Tinapa is more than an administrative victory — it is a restoration of our collective pride as Cross River people. Governor Otu has proven that leadership is about vision and courage, not rhetoric. This milestone rekindles hope and repositions our state for genuine economic renewal and inclusive growth.
“The governor has shown true leadership by reclaiming what rightly belongs to the Cross River people. His actions reflect sincerity, courage, and a clear vision for a more prosperous state.
“Governor Otu’s initiative rekindles the vision of transforming Cross River into a competitive investment destination. It’s now our collective duty to ensure Tinapa rises again — stronger, smarter, and sustainably managed.”
The parliamentarian representing Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly, Rep. Bassey Akiba, in a statement described the development as a landmark accomplishment and bold initiative underscoring Otu’s focus on fast-tracking the economic transformation of Cross River State. He added that the move will reposition the state as a leading tourism destination in Nigeria and on the African continent.
The legislator noted that Tinapa, a flagship project, had faced years of neglect and operational challenges, stressing that the governor’s intervention has revived hopes and unlocked economic opportunities for the state and its citizens.
Applauding Otu’s purposeful leadership, unyielding determination to resuscitate moribund government assets, and his bold efforts in charting a new course of progress for Cross River, Rep Akiba said: “From the breathtaking Obudu Mountain Resort to the iconic Kwa Falls, Marina Resort, and the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Governor Bassey Otu is breathing new life into the soul of Cross River’s tourism industry.”
A former Commissioner for Land and Housing during the administration of ex-Governor Duke, and one-time Managing Director (MD) of Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Architect Bassey Eyo-Ndem, hailed the incumbent Governor Otu for showing deep interest in bringing the project back to life.
Architect Eyo-Ndem in an interview aired on TVC, said everything about Tinapa built by the best contractors and consultants was first-class, stressing that it shouldn’t have been abandoned for what it holds for the state’s economy. He firmly believes the project remains economically viable, notwithstanding the various challenges that had confronted it and the damage suffered during the EndSars protest.
According to him, “Tinapa is a $450m project and asset. Today, that will be approximately N700 billion. And for such a project to be returned to the government, I think that it’s a very significant move.
“It was during the Duke’s administration that Tinapa or the vision for Tinapa came to fruition. It was properly articulated. Subsequent governors decided to switch focus to other things.
“And so, Tinapa got ignored by two administrations. But the present governor realised that every governor shouldn’t come in and begin to build a foundation. There must be those who can build the walls and those who would put the roof on the project. I think the governor (Sweet Prince) understands this is a truly strategic asset which has the potential to turn around the fortunes of not only Cross River State and Nigeria, but also West Africa and Africa as a whole.
“I must commend Governor Bassey Edet Otu for not listening to those who really don’t know what the story is and wrote off Tinapa as a failed project. Like I said, the easiest thing would have been to turn his back at these assets and begin to build his own set of so-called legacy projects. But he has shown the depth of character and maturity which indicates that he understands that government is a continuum. People have to build on what others had done.”
Michael Jegede, a journalist, writes from Abuja