Delta govt committed to sustainable tourism devt ― Commissioner

 

Delta govt committed to sustainable tourism devt ― Commissioner

 

Delta government has expressed its commitment to building infrastructure for sustainable tourism development in the state.

 

The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Lawrence Ejiofor, stated this while addressing newsmen shortly after inspecting Asaba Leisure Park and Film Village projects. Ejiofor, who was accompanied by his Information counterpart, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said that the government would continue to accord development of infrastructure its deserved priority to boost the state’s tourism potentials. “If you were here before we commenced this project, you would appreciate what we have done so far. We did a lot of land reclamation here. We worked with Federal Ministry of Mines and also the waterways. “There’s no amount of flood that can threaten this project because all that was considered before its commencement. What is sunk into this ground is bigger than what you are seeing here. “The work here is going on progressively. We come here all the time to make sure the project is executed to specification, because we don’t want to do a project that will not stand the test of time,” he said. Ejiofor said that government would partner with Nollywood on the project, as it was being built under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

“We are going to partner with Nollywood and other private sector stakeholders to manage this place and give government returns. The private partners will see to its day-to-day running. “I was in Abuja sometime ago to market Delta as a tourism destination. However, what we are doing now is to put our tourism facilities into modern standard. “We just signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for Lander Brothers Anchorage between the state government and Jabi boat club. “They are committing N550 million into a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of 70:30 per cent to rebuild and manage it over time,” he said. On his part, Aniagwu said that the construction of the project was in line with the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration’s desire to build a “Stronger Delta” for enhanced development.

 

“I have been conducted round this twin project and I’m impressed with the quality of work and the speed. “The film village project has editing suites, sound studio amphitheatre, guest house and hostel facilities, engineering and maintenance as well as site for epic movies. “You can see the speed with which they are approaching the project. The leisure park, on the other hand, will have a zoo for wildlife, artificial lake, swimming pool, a big restaurant and an 11-storey observatory tower. “During his inauguration for a second term in office, Gov. Okowa promised to build a ‘Stronger Delta’, anchored on development of key infrastructure for sustainable development. “We are happy to report that what we are seeing here is in line with the designs and we are hopeful that at the end of 2021, we can be sure of inaugurating this place. “It’s a facility meant for the young and the old, and as soon as it comes on stream, Delta will make it the hub of Nollywood in Nigeria,” Aniagwu said. (NAN)

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