Abia, foreign firm plan 5-star hotel as govt. positions Aba as choice destination for commerce, confabs, tourism

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From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

Abia State government and Radisson Blu would on February 9, 2025 initial an agreement for the construction and management of the first Five-Star Hotel to be built in the state.

Officials of both parties will sign the dotted lines in Lagos where Radisson Blu, an international hospitality management expert, has a facility, for the building of Enyimba International Hotel.

Enyimba Hotel, conceived to be a three-star hotel by the Chief Sam Mbakwe administration, was later abandoned, turning the erected structure to a home for criminals and miscreants.

A significant feature of the new Enyimba International Hotel is that it will come with an International Conference Centre, which the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, described as “first of its kind.”

The International Conference Centre, is expected to have three main conference halls with 2, 500, 1, 500 and 1, 000 sitting-capacity, respectively, as well as an Exhibition Hall that is 20, 000 square metres in space, where subsequent trade fairs will now hold; and a park, among other facilities.

At a Media briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council’s weekly meeting, the Commissioner for Information disclosed that when the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is signed on February 9, the project is expected to be completed in less than 24 months.

Prince Kanu said that Governor Alex Otti has issued directives for the swift execution of the project which includes a “First-of-its-kind International Conference Center.”

“The Governor has given marching order that that the Enyimba Hotel Project should run very fast and I can assure you that in less than 24 months, that structure will be there for use by the public,” Prince Kanu said.

“All these efforts are to make Aba wear a new look as the economic nerve center of the state and, of course, the business hub of the South Eastern Nigeria,” the Commissioner noted, adding that “the Aba Rebuild Agenda of the state government is very much on course. Aba is wearing a new look and the state government is not relenting. It is only early days for Aba quite a lot will happen,” the Commissioner promised.

Explaining the delayed take-off of construction of the new Enyimba International Hotel project which Governor had announced would start in June last year, the Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, attributed it careful study of the legal framework for the partnership between the government and Radisson Blu.

Uwannah said that all paper works and other arrangements delaying the formal commencement of the Construction of the new Enyimba International Hotel, Aba, have been sorted out, thereby paving the way for the planned signing of MOU with the investor.

“Customary to International Commercial agreements, we (Government) have to go through and be sure that all the clauses in that agreement are favourable for Abians.

“The Governor has been trying to ensure that the agreement was signed in December but because of the negotiations between the Abia State Legal Team and the team of the Investors who are coming to manage the facility, it became a bit protracted.

“That was why we did not close the transaction in December. But right now, we are 90 percent done with most of the terms and I’m sure that by February 9, we would be signing off on that agreement.

“So we are up to the final point. I assure all Abians that the terms of agreements are in line with His Excellency’s vision of ensuring that Abia State gets maximum benefits for every relationship the government enters into,” the Commissioner for Justice said.

Also, the General Manager of Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA), Mr Uche Ukeje, noted that the construction of the Enyimba International Hotel would be consummated through the signing of MOU by Radisson Blu, an international investor in the hospitality industry

Ukeje told newsmen that new bridges would be built in Aba for easy connectivity in the commercial town.

“His Excellency has decided that we have another iconic installation linking Tonimas to 7Up by building a bridge, Eziama link bridge, across that point. What that will do is that even those that live in Ogbor Hill, they don’t need to come back through Ikot Ekpene Road. They will pass through that bridge and they are either at Brass Junction or at Tonimas. So, you are able to connect Ariaria, for instance from Ogbor Hill, without going through Ikot Ekpene Road,” Ukeje explained.

“So, we expect that by building this, connectivity within Aba would have improved significantly. Beyond that, another road we are building will link 7Up to Osisioma, so that we ease the movement of goods and people within the city,” he further said, noting that creating easy access to Aba has become necessary because of the city’s centrality and importance as a commercial hub.

“Aba is served by five regional and two international airports – Port Harcourt, Enugu, Owerri and Uyo. If you add the one coming up in Abia, that makes it five.

“So, it is easy for people to have conferences in Aba, to have events in Aba. So, we are trying to take advantage of the centrality to provide facilities that would enable us increase the number of people coming into the city.

“What His Excellency is trying to do is to position Aba as an attraction so we become a destination of choice. And we cannot be able to do that if you do not have hospitality and conference facilities and other things,” Ukeje said.

He also hinted that there are plans to construct of leisure parks in Aba and Umuahia while discussions were on to close down illegal markets in Aba and its environs.

He equally disclosed that government was discussing with landlords in Aba to turn sanitary lanes, already converted to shops, into green areas.

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