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Tinapa
will Regenerate Lost Trading History of
Old Calabar . President
Olusegun Obasanjo During
the Commissioning of the Multibillion
Naira project at Adiabo, Odukpani Local
Government Area, President Olusegun
Obasanjo stated that the commercial
history of Old Calabar, which made the
town prominent before the advent of the
colonial masters, will be brought back,
adding that it is one thing to have a
dream and another to follow it tenaciously
to realization. Describing
Tinapa as an economic issue, President
Obasanjo said it would impact positively
on the economy of Cross River State as
well as the whole of the West African Sub
Zone, saying that the commissioning was a
celebration of an actualized dream by
Governor Donald Duke of Cross River
State. President
Obasanjo noted that the project will
change the face of Cross River and
appreciated the can do spirit of Governor
Duke, which he said was borne out of his
ability to pursue his dreams to
achievement, stressing that the project
will not only create employment, as well
as generate income, but will also impact
positively on the image of
Nigeria. The
President described Tinapa as a bold link
to the sub-region that will propel
Nigeria, Ghana and Togo to bring about
prosperity and that it is an initiative
fundamentally set to integrate and
generate economic growth and development
in the zone, adding that Tinapa is a
catalyst for many activities which will
stimulate job creation in the sub
region. He
stated that to accommodate the heavy
traffic which is expected when all the
facilities at the resort are fully
operational, the Federal Government
intends to build a new airport in Calabar,
which will be cheaper to build than to
expand the existing one, in order to
accommodate jumbo
aircrafts. President
Obasanjo stated that the cost of
constructing the new airport will be
shared on a 50 - 50 ratio basis between
the Federal Government and the State
Government and that the ground breaking
will be undertaken before the expiration
of the present government on May 29, 2007,
stressing that government has enthroned
democratic ideas which will contribute to
the success of the forthcoming electoral
process, whilst congratulating the Cross
River State Government and all those
involved in the project. President
Obasanjo also challenged entrepreneurs to
make the project realizable by seeking
funds from banks to invest in it as he
would like all products stocked in the
resort to be " Made in Nigeria", if the
funds are available. Governor
Donald Duke of Cross River State in his
welcome address described Tinapa as a
mission in which many people had played
remarkable roles in seeing it to fruition,
while commending Obasanjo for affording
the state the opportunity to realize its
dream, "because when a work as this is
conceived, incubated and delivered, there
is need to celebrate." Governor
Duke acknowledged the contributions of
various financial institutions including
ECOWAS Bank for Reconstruction and
Development. General Jakubu Gowon
described the occasion as "the Lord's
doing as we rejoice in his
mercy". The
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tinapa,
Mr. Sam Anani, in his presentation,
commended Obasanjo for the support and
approval given to the project which was
conceptualized three years ago, saying
that Tinapa is one of the most successful
Public-Private Sector, Partnership
projects in Nigeria financed locally by
various financial institutions, which will
offer employment to 5,000 youths as well
as 500 foreigners. Anani
said as a marketing out-let for goods and
services, the project will open its doors
for entrepreneurs to thrive as well as
attracting traffic from various parts of
West Africa. The
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Alhaji
Alieu Modibo in his remarks said Tinapa
marks the beginning story of the country's
desire to better its economy by 2020, and
that, as a private sector driven economy,
it must succeed, adding that the Federal
Government had initiated polices to
stimulate the private sector which Tinapa
falls into. Modibo
averred that Tinapa should not be seen as
a place only for the selling of foreign
goods but also as a place for selling
"Made in Nigeria" products, pledging that
the Federal Government will continue to
give the project its
support. The
Minister of Tourism, Prof Babalola
Borishade said the occasion was another
land mark in the history of tourism in
Nigeria, adding that Tinapa is an
aggressive attempt to give tourism its
rightful place through Public-Private
Sector Partnership, which will open a
major gateway to tourism in
Nigeria. Borishade
said with the commissioning of Tinapa the
State has added another feather to its cap
because it will act as a catalyst to
enhance rapid development of tourism,
adding that a lot of effort will need to
be put into the project to ensure its
success. The
Minister congratulated Duke for dreaming
dreams and called on other governors to
initiate their own original projects to
move Nigeria forward while congratulating
Obasanjo and others for being part of the
great success story. The
Managing Director of UBA, Mr. Tony
Elumelu, on behalf of the private sector,
listed the many things which ensured the
birth of good ideas, the power of vision,
support of the Public, Private Sector
Partnership and power of leader support.
He explained that Duke dreamt a dream,
sought the support of the Private Sector.
He said that if Obansanjo had not
supported Tinapa, it would not have been a
success story. Elumelu
said Tinapa will not be the last of a
success story in Nigeria as it will spur
others to move, whilst challenging others
to dream dreams and seek financial support
from the banking industry because "Today
it is Tinapa, Tomorrow whose project will
it be?" TINAPA
- BIRTH OF A SUPER OASIS! The
total Tinapa complex is massive - 80 000
m2 of retail and wholesale emporiums
alone. The emporiums feature a borderless,
seamless shopping environment - a unique
concept that unfolds a new dimension in
retailing for the first time in Africa's
history! These massive 21st century
shopping emporiums will be supported by a
vast array of retailers offering
everything from exclusive bookshops,
specialty CD and DVD outlets, pharmacies
to beauty salons, banks and jewellery
stores! Plus an incredible entertainment
centre including cinemas, food court,
internet cafe and games arcade! There will
be a dazzling range of six hotels to
choose from - accommodation to suit a
variety of lifestyles and budgets. The
magnificent waterfront development
incorporating a Fisherman's Wharf, will
showcase even more restaurants, bars and
tourist kiosks. Imagine, after an endless
night of fun, enjoying a champagne
breakfast whilst watching a beautiful
sunrise over the azure waters of the
Calabar River! And
as if that's not enough entertainment
there'll be added attractions to indulge
in, including a golfer's paradise with
driving range and putting green, a jungle
carting track, quad biking route, plus a
clay pigeon and archery course! Water
activities, including water-skiing,
parasailing, rowing and canoeing will take
place in a luxurious oasis environment!
Agri and eco tourism attractions will
include a sizeable exotic bird sanctuary,
a crocodile farm, a tropical fish farm, a
primate rehabilitation centre and much,
much more in the sun-drenched waterways of
Tinapa! Tinapa is the ultimate shop and
party till-you-drop leisure centre
&endash; a world that is alive
twenty-fours a day with a never-ending
choice of activities to choose from.
Tinapa will provide visitors with a unique
tourism experience and the development
will fast track growth of the tourism
sector in Calabar, Cross River State and
Nigeria. T This
architectural design for Tinapa was
created by GAPP, Architects & Urban
Designers, one of the greatest
architectural firms in Africa. GAPP's
track record defines the future success of
Tinapa. GAPP maintains a consistently high
standard of service and commitment through
a rigorous process of critical evaluation
and exploration on every project. This
approach is evident in the work produced
by GAPP and the numerous accolades they've
received. Most of all their achievements
can be measured by the success of their
completed projects &endash; the V & A
Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa
being one of the finest examples &endash;
a multimillion dollar money spinner that's
an international attraction! From the
grand vision defined by Cross River State
Governor, Donald Duke, GAPP evolved the
final design - the creation of a Free
Trade Zone to rival, if not exceed, what
the best in the world can offer. The bold
new landscape of the Tinapa business and
leisure empire. The place where Africa
shops! |
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in
the fall of 2006, our magazine's editorial
team was part of an ATA group that was
priviledged to visit and inspect Calabar's
exciting Tinapa project that was in its
final stages at the time. Our current
mandate is to make sure Africa Travel
Magazine's readers and internet viewers in
North America and around the world know
the true facts about Nigeria's newest
treasure of cooperative enterprise. Tinapa
is a resort that means business - the
business of combing business, pleasure and
leisure! Tinapa is the resort that means
business - the business of combing
business, pleasure and leisure! This will
be the first time that anything like this
has been experienced in West Africa. No
longer will you need to go to Europe, the
Far East or America to enjoy the best
entertainment, shopping and leisure
facilities the world has to
offer!
Tinapa,
Africa's Premier Business Resort, has been
described as a project with the potential
of regenerating the lost trading history
of Old Calabar.
he
architectural design of Tinapa exploits
the natural richness of Africa through
explorations into worlds of water and
succulent vegetation, which seamlessly
coalesce with the architecture to create
what can only be described as a super
oasis! The combination of textures,
patterns and materials creates a unique
signature for Tinapa enhancing its
inimitable stature as one of the world's
greatest business and leisure zones. The
total development is massive &endash; 80
000 m2 of retail and wholesale emporiums.
These massive 21st century emporiums will
be supported by a vast array of retailers!
Adjoining the shopping area will be a
formidable entertainment complex embracing
six hotels and a magnificent waterfront
development &endash; the Fisherman's
Wharf. There'll be added leisure
environments including a golfer's
paradise, a jungle carting track, quad
biking route, plus a clay pigeon and
archery course. Water activities will take
place in a luxurious oasis atmosphere!
Agri and eco tourism attractions will
include an exotic bird sanctuary, a
crocodile farm, a tropical fish farm anda
ground breaking primate rehabilitation
centre.