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By Ekemini James
One of the most remarkable attributes of Governor Umo Eno’s leadership since assumption of office on May 29, 2023 has been his exceptional commitment to the actualisation of his economic blueprint, The ARISE Agenda.
The Agenda which envisions an emerging and open economy with endless opportunities to create value and wealth, identifies tourism as a key driver of economic growth and development.
In the last eighteen months, the Governor has been able to leverage on the rich cultural heritage of the state to strategically develop the tourism sector in order to transform the state into a tourist destination in Nigeria, Africa and the World at large.
The hospitality guru, who came prepared to serve his people, understands that tourism is a major revenue pillar for many advanced economies.
To achieve his vision, Governor Eno converted a fully erosion ravaged site to a tourist zone, named “The Arise Park” The Park which will soon be opened sits on a former gully-erosion-ravine off Etim Umana and Dominic Utuk Avenues. It is indeed a marvel to behold and a testament to vision and creativity.
The state-of-the-art recreational park when completed is expected to have artificial lakes, floating bars, water falls, mini shopping centres, Sports Arena, Swimming Pool, Children Amusement ground, Police Post and Medical Centre.
Also, the Governor inspected the themes park, the 14- storey Tropicana hotel building and the 5000 – capacity Conference facility at the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre, Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo where he ordered immediate reclamation of all trespassed portions of the 82- hectare landed property acquired for the Centre, as he moves to complete the moribund and uncompleted parts of the facility.
Governor Eno, who had earlier held a re-evaluation meeting with major contractors on the project, said the visit was informed by his resolve to attend to critical infrastructure that have potential to grow the state’s economy.
He explained that his drive to reclaim the facility was also in furtherance of his pledge to complete uncompleted projects initiated by previous administrations and make them functional.
This goes to show that Governor Eno is not just introducing new projects but is also interested in managing and sustaining the projects embarked upon by his predecessors for the benefit of the people.
Also, the Uyo Capital City Development Agency, in line with the Governor’s vision to make Uyo a destination of choice is carrying-out a beautification project at Atiku Flyover, a major gateway into the capital city of the state.
The project aims to enhance the city’s aesthetic appeal, create a more beautiful environment for residents and visitors alike, and drive economic growth with plans to roll out similar upgrades across other parts of the city in the coming months.
Aside repackaging and rebranding the Christmas Park with special features like the Village Square, Cultural display from the 31 Local Government Areas, the current administration sponsored selected staff of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for Capacity Building Training in China, constructed 20,000 capacity amphi-theatre as Permanent Venue for the hosting of the annual award winning Akwa Ibom Christmas Carol. The administration has also been encouraging homegrown artistes.
The ‘Christmas Unplugged’ which commenced on December 1, 2024, is already an emerging force in the country’s tourism calendar, hosting the world to a month-long happy hours of cultural renaissance and re-awakening with each Local Government showcasing their rich cultural heritage and promoting the spirit of peace, unity and love for each other.
The Governor is doing more in boosting the state’s tourism drive, as most of his investments either in infrastructure, transportation, agriculture, and more, are all strategically designed to open the state to the world.
Governor Umo Eno’s efforts in the tourism sector have not gone unnoticed as he was voted by tourism professionals as the Nigerian Tourism Governor of the Year 2023, and the state named the most active tourism state in Nigeria.
