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.
The approval was announced by Thomas Ikpeme, Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Tourism Development, in a statement on Thursday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Ikpeme 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 initiative is central to the administration’s wider goal of repositioning Cross River as a premier tourism destination in Nigeria and the West African region.
“Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River has approved the release of N18 billion to boost tourism infrastructure and reposition the state as a leading destination in Nigeria and West Africa.
“The state government said 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.
“The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism Development, Mr Thomas Ikpeme, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. Ikpeme said the investment forms part of the administration’s tourism transformation agenda under the “Season of Sweetness” initiative,” the NAN report read in part.
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.
Part of the funding, he said, would go toward developing 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.
As part of its wider tourism promotion drive, the Cross River State government plans to roll out the “Experience Calabar” campaign and establish a Heritage Market to showcase local crafts, arts, and cultural heritage.
The 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.