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“If
You Build It- They Will Come.” I
am Calabar, an historic seaport city and former
slave trading post, strategically located on the
Atlantic Coast near the Cameroon border. I am
capital of Nigeria's Cross River
State
and
considered the future superstar of West African
tourism. That bright, shiny future is just around
the corner according to the Governor's active
timetable. In
terms of economic potential, I am located near Port
Harcourt, heart of Nigeria's petroleum industry, a
magnet for business travelers from all corners of
the world. What about my
mission for the new millenium?
I
was selected host city for the Africa Travel
Association's 10th Cultural and Ecotourism
Symposium, a prestige event that attracts tourism
industry executives from North America and the
world. What was the key factor for this decision?
"The
successful hosting of the Africa Travel Association
(ATA) Ecotourism summit by the Cross River State
government will go a long way in changing the face
of the country's tourism." Sumonu
Bello-Osagie , Nigerian Consulate , New
York. I
have become a showcase for another valid reason -
being considered the nation's cleanest city - and
perhaps the model for all of Africa. How did it
happen in such a short time? Perhaps it was
inspired by the same human urge for beauty, order
and cleanliness that made "America
in Bloom"
such a huge sucess in transforming entire
communities, setting up a healthy competition
that's bound to catch on worldwide. Here are some
comments in that regard relating directly to
Calabar "With
so many Nigerian cities overflowing with refuge and
generally lacking in cleanliness and hygiene one of
the things Duke did when he became Governor was
clean up the major cities in the state, implemented
a maintenance strategy to ensure they remained
clean, including a zero tolerance policy for people
who choose to throw waste around. Waste management
in Calabar is very efficient. The city is organized
into 45 cells and given to private contractors to
manage. The contractors are responsible for
street-sweeping and waste management and
contractors are immediately replaced if they fail
to perform.” "Many
who pick a holiday destination in Africa opt for
Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia or perhaps Morocco.
But the city of Calabar in Nigeria -- Africa's most
populous nation, a global oil producer and a
continental powerhouse -- probably doesn't figure
high on many destination lists. It's remote, even
for Nigerians. But the governor has grand plans to
change all that."
NPR Tinapa -
Birth of a Super Oasis |
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The
answer lies in the federal and state governments'
new focus on 
The
visitors from ATA were shown each of these
megaprojects in the following order (1) An
outstanding waterfront development that will change
the face of the city dramatically and become a
focus for enhanced marine tourism and river
cruises. (2) The giant Tinapa Business and Leisure
Park, where engineer Len Dickinson gave the group a
presentation and walking tour through this
fascinating area that will be West Africa's first
Free Trade Zone, and (3) The Obudu Cattle Ranch,
operated by Protea Hotels of South Africa, a
pleasant drive from Calabar on good roads, or a
short hop by aircraft or helicopter. What's more, a
modern gondola system whisks visitors to the broad,
upper plateau from a theme park on the lower road
not far from the Obudu Ranch airstrip. Expect much
more to come on the big three plus more impressions
of this exciting city, which is old in terms of
history, but young in terms of
spirit.
Visit
my Slave History Park and the International Museum
with its many relics of the British Empire and
mementos of local chiefs and colonial dignitaries.
You will discover that I have been inhabited for
two millennia, being discovered by European
navigators as early as the
1400s.
Prior to
independence
I was the former seat of Government of Niger Coast,
Southern and Oil River Protectorates. Other visitor
attractions include the Botanical Gardens, Sports
Stadium Complex and University of
Calabar.
“The
cleanliness of Calabar's is amazing to Nigerian
visitors to the city and even those who haven't
been there have heard of how clean it is. So
much so that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Minister, Mallam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai who wants to
make Abuja the Singapore of Africa in terms of
beauty, had to pay a pilgrimage to Calabar to see
things for himself and find out from Duke and his
team how they did it."\
Tinapa
is the resort that means business &endash; 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! The
total Tinapa complex is massive &endash; 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!
"The
Federal Government of Nigeria in its determined
efforts to develop at promote tourism into
economically viable industry had in 1991 evolved a
tourism policy. The main thrust of the policy is to
make Nigeria a prominent tourism destination in
Africa, generate foreign exchange, encourage even
development, promote tourism-based rural
enterprises, generate employment, accelerate
rural-urban integration and foster sociocultural
unity among the various regions of the country
through the promotion of domestic and international
tourism. It also aims at encouraging active private
sector participation in tourism development
"