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After many years of inaction, it is cheering that the moribund Tinapa Business Resort is being revived by Governor Bassey Edet Otu of Cross River State. The tourist and business hub edifice built by former governor of the State, Donald Duke, was stalled by bureaucratic bottlenecks, fiscal challenges and what some people may describe as the Nigerian factor. The Tinapa Resort was opened with great pomp and ceremony in 2007.
Few years after the inauguration of the tourist and leisure resort, things started to fall apart in practically all fronts and the centre could no longer hold for the young business edifice. Moreover, the legal status of the Tinapa Free Trade Zone was uncertain because only the federal government can operate a free trade zone. The Tinapa Free Trade Zone is owned by Cross River State. This contradiction was part of the challenges of the new business venture. All efforts to overcome its initial challenges proved unworkable.
By 2011, the business and leisure resort was afflicted with financial storms that warranted its being taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). Unfortunately, the undertaker could not inject the much-needed N29 billion to revive the venture. Investors could not bring the money. Everything seemed bleak for the business. The dream of the multi-billion naira edifice was stalled by circumstances beyond its control and nothing much was done to save it from untimely death.
The attempt by the Liyel Imoke administration to breathe life into the dying edifice could not succeed. He even appealed to the federal government to have a stake in the project and remove the uncertainty about its status, which hinders investment. Yet, things did not work. After, Imoke, his successor, Ben Ayade, did not show any interest in Tinapa Resort. He did nothing whatsoever to revive it. This unwelcome attitude can explain why Nigeria is littered with abandoned projects; roads, houses, hospitals airports and sporting facilities. There should be continuity in government.
However, with the coming to the scene by Governor Bassey Otu, the story has dramatically changed and everything is moving in the direction of resuscitating the Tinapa Resort dream once again. Things are intentionally moving very fast to revive the tourist and leisure resort. The people of Cross River State are excited over the resurrection of the dead Tinapa by the present administration in the state, which has resolved to put the People First Agenda in everything it does. The governor has breathed life into the project. And there is no looking back. The governor is intentional in everything he does in the state.
Otu’s People First Agenda is working for him. It is therefore commendable that Otu on November 7, 2025, signed the formal handover and repossession of the Tinapa Free Zone and Resorts to the ownership of the Government of Cross River State. This is a dream come true for Governor Otu. It is also a dream come true for the good people of Cross River State. It is also good for the nation’s tourism and leisure business.
The elated governor was quoted as saying that, “today’s event has finally removed the legal lacuna on the ownership of Tinapa, which is now the bonafide property of the Cross River State government. We are not only reclaiming the facility; but also increasing the stock of our enduring infrastructure.” Governor Otu went on to say that, “the return of Tinapa is not merely an event; it is the rebirth, the triumph of faith, patience and resilience. This is more than reclaiming an asset; it is the revival of a vision that once placed Cross River on the global economic map.”
There is, indeed, no doubt that the repossession of Tinapa resort is a decisive step towards ending years of redundancy and abandonment and invariably setting the stage for renewed productivity. Governor Otu is poised and ever committed to reposition Tinapa business and leisure resort as a thriving hub for trade, tourism and creative enterprise. The government is reportedly talking with credible investors and partners to turn the tourist and business edifice around.
Tinapa resort is a treasure waiting to be tapped. It is the next gold after oil. The emphasis should be on non-oil sector, which is resilient and sustainable. Otu is on the right track. What Governor Bassey Otu is doing with Tinapa will boost investors’ confidence. It will restore trust among investors and demonstrate government’s readiness to drive socio-economic revival in Cross River State. Following its recent recovery, Tinapa is now a strategic infrastructure under the management of Cross River State.
The government should now decide how best to manage the edifice which will boost business, tourism and even create jobs. Since governments in this part of the world don’t normally do profitable business, it is good that the government of Cross River State should engage some business partners to help it manage the Tinapa resort. Care must be taken to avoid the mistakes of the past.
It is also good that the government is currently discussing with potential partners in the agro sub-sector and manufacturing, all showcasing Tinapa’s renewed attractiveness. Cross River State is open for global business through Tinapa. The Tinapa tourist and leisure resort is open for business by the people of the state, Nigerians and diaspora investors. Governor Otu is fast repositioning the Tinapa resort as an investors’ haven with limitless opportunities.
This is a victory for the people of Cross River State. According to Governor Bassey Otu, “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 our future generations who will inherit its promise.” There is hope that Tinapa resort will again boom with business, tourism and leisure. It will soon begin to host conferences and visitors from Africa and all over the world.
Therefore, we salute Governor Bassey Otu and all those who worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality. It will also reposition Cross River State and put it on the global business and tourism map once again. The agrarian economy of the state will be further enhanced.
